Jindal Steel clarified on July 19 that Dinesh Kumar Saraogi, accused of alleged harassment by a woman passenger during an international flight, has not been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company since last year.
In a statement on Friday, Jindal Steel, said that Saraogi presently serves as the CEO of Vulcan Green Steel in Oman.
“Dinesh Kumar Saraogi who is alleged of harassing a woman on the Etihad flight is not a Jindal Steel Executive since last year. He is the CEO of Vulcan Green Steel, Oman and does not have any direct relation with the Listed company Jindal Steel and Power,” the statement said.
In a post on X on July 19, Ananya Chhaochharia, founder of Paint it Red (an NGO working for menstrual rights), accused Saraogi of sexual assault allegedly during a flight from Calcutta to Abu Dhabi on July 19. She also drew the attention of Jindal Steel founder and BJP MP Naveen Jindal on the matter.
Responding to her complaint, Lok Sabha MP Naveen Jindal assured “strictest and necessary” action while directing investigation into the matter.
“Thank you for reaching out and speaking up! It takes a lot of courage to do what you did and I want you to know that we have a zero-tolerance policy for such matters. I have asked the team to immediately investigate the matter and thereafter, the strictest and necessary action will be taken,” Mr. Jindal said in his response to the victim’s post threads on X.
In her post, Ananya Chhaochharia claimed, “Sharing an incident that happened with me in the flight from Calcutta to Abu Dhabi (transit to Boston). I am very grateful to the staff of @__Etiihad and the Abu Dhabi police for the support they provided me. TW: Sexual Assault.”
“I was seated next to an industrialist [Dinesh Kr. Saraogi, CEO of Jindal Steel]. He must be roughly 65 in age & told me he now lives in Oman but travels frequently. He started chatting me up – very normal conversation about our roots, family etc. He is from Churu in Rajasthan. & both sons are married & settled in the US etc. The conversation moved to what my hobbies are. He asked if I enjoy watching movies & I was like of course. He then proceeds to tell me he has some movie clips on his phone. He whips out his phone and earphones to show me PORN!,” she added.
She further thanked the Etihad team for being “pro-active” and take action immediately.
“He started groping me. I was frozen in shock and scare. I eventually ran off to the washroom and complained to the air staff. Thankfully the Etihad team was very pro-active and took action immediately. They made me sit at their seating area and served me tea & fruits. He kept calling them to ask where I had gone. The staff also informed the cops at Abu Dhabi who were waiting as soon the gates of the aircraft opened. I could not proceed with a complaint because I would have missed my connecting flight to Boston,” the post mentioned.
“I am working to get this incident out to the founder of Jindal Steel @MPNaveenJindal so that he is aware of the kind of people who are in leadership. I am also afraid of how this molestor must be treating his female employees from a place of power,” she further stated.
