A woman has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Dinesh Kumar Saraogi, a senior executive at Jindal Steel, during a flight from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi. In a detailed post on X, the woman recounted how the 65-year-old executive initiated a conversation with her, which initially seemed normal, discussing backgrounds, hobbies, and families. However, the situation took a distressing turn when Saraogi allegedly showed her pornographic clips on his phone and proceeded to grope her.
The woman, identified on X as the co-chair of the India Conference at Harvard, described feeling shocked and scared by the executive's actions. She recounted how she felt frozen in shock initially, before retreating to the washroom to seek refuge and notify the airline staff of the incident.
Acknowledging the prompt response of the Etihad Airways crew, she praised their support in relocating her to a safe area on the flight, offering comfort with tea and fruits. Despite this, she reported that Saraogi continued to inquire about her whereabouts through the airline staff during the flight.
Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, the woman disclosed that the airline staff had informed the local police, who swiftly apprehended Saraogi as soon as the aircraft doors opened. However, due to the urgency of catching her connecting flight to Boston, she explained that she couldn't proceed with a formal complaint at that moment.
To bring the incident to the attention of senior management at Jindal Steel, she tagged Naveen Jindal, BJP MP and chairperson of the company, in a tweet recounting her ordeal. In response, Jindal expressed gratitude to the woman for speaking up and assured her of the company's "zero tolerance policy" towards such misconduct.
In his tweet, Jindal emphasized the seriousness of the matter and pledged that the company would conduct an immediate investigation. He assured that appropriate and stringent actions would follow based on the findings of the investigation.
The incident has sparked widespread concern and calls for accountability, highlighting the ongoing challenges of sexual harassment and misconduct, particularly in professional settings and during travel. As the investigation progresses, there will likely be increased scrutiny on how organizations handle allegations of misconduct and ensure the safety and dignity of all individuals within their purview.
