Indian Ocean co-founder files complaint against band members over unpaid royalties
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Susmit Sen, the co-founder of the iconic Indian band 'Indian Ocean', has lodged a police complaint against his former bandmates Rahul Ram and Amit Kilam, accusing them of withholding royalties.
The complaint, filed alongside Sunita Chakravarty, the wife of the late Ashim Chakravarty - another founding member of the band - alleges significant financial discrepancies and a breach of trust.
Sen and Sunita Chakravarty claim that they have not received any royalties from Indian Ocean since 2020 and 2021, respectively.
They assert that they are owed more than Rs 50 lakh each, a figure based on calculations made two years ago.
The complaint, which also names Kandisa Music Productions Pvt Ltd (the company managing Indian Ocean), was lodged at the Mukherjee Nagar police station in New Delhi on August 16. While an FIR has yet to be registered, the charges include criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating, misappropriation, and falsification of accounts.
Reflecting on his departure from Indian Ocean in 2013 after co-founding the band in 1990, Sen expressed his disappointment: "There was so much trust for 23 and a half years. It is heartbreaking when your close friends, partners, and colleagues behave like this."
Rahul Ram and Amit Kilam responded to the complaint with a statement, expressing surprise at the filing, given that the matter is already under litigation in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). "We are saddened to learn about the police complaint, especially since the issue is already pending in the NCLT," they said. The duo suggested that the criminal complaint might be an attempt to pressure them into settling the ongoing civil dispute.
Sen, however, stated that the band members had not reached out to him to resolve the issue, despite the NCLT urging them to do so earlier this year. He also alleged that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the band members claimed they couldn't pay royalties due to a lack of work, but a balance sheet revealed that the band had conducted business worth Rs 1.5 crore.
Rahul Ram and Amit Kilam have dismissed the allegations as frivolous and expressed confidence in the legality of their actions. They vowed to fully cooperate with any police investigation.
Indian Ocean, known for their unique fusion of rock with Indian classical, folk, and jazz influences, has been a significant force in the Indian music scene since their debut album in 1993. The band was officially incorporated as Kandisa Music Productions Pvt Ltd in 2004, with Sen, Sunita Chakravarty, Rahul Ram, and Amit Kilam as equal shareholders.
