Riyas Komu reinstated at Kochi Biennale Foundation after sexual misconduct inquiry dropped

Riyas Komu has returned to his positions at the Kochi Biennale Foundation following the termination of an investigation into sexual assault allegations. The Foundation's board of trustees accepted a recommendation from its Internal Complaints Committee to drop the inquiry after no formal complaint emerged. Komu had stepped down from management roles in October after anonymous claims surfaced last year. A trustee meeting convened shortly after his departure appointed Lizzie Jacob, trustee and former Chief Secretary of Kerala, to lead the investigation as Chair of the ICC. The Foundation issued a statement confirming the inquiry's closure and welcoming Komu's return. Jacob pursued the matter for several weeks without locating the source of the allegations. The ICC concluded that without a complainant, the inquiry should not proceed. Komu co-founded the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a major contemporary art event in India.