Dinesh Saraogi: Cases of sexual harassment are seriously charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A 65-year-old man, the CEO of Oman-based company Vulcan Green Steel, Dinesh Kumar Saraogi, is facing serious charges after a woman accused him of sexually harassing her during flight. According to reports, the act occurred on a flight from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi, whereby inappropriate behavior by the man and adult movie clips were displayed on his mobile to the said lady. He was Director of Jindal Steel but resigned in 2023.
Victim Shares Ordeal on Social Media
The woman shared her ordeal in a post on social media platform X. She serves on the committee as the co-chair of the India Conference at Harvard. In a post, the committee member described how a normal conversation regarding backgrounds, interests, and families took a perverted turn after Saraogi started flashing his mobile screen with pornographic content. “He whips out his phone and earphones to show me porn! He started groping me. I was so shocked and scared stiff the entire time. I eventually ran off to the washroom and complained to the air staff,” she wrote.
She appreciated how the Etihad Airways crew responded promptly and booted Saraogi out immediately. “They made me sit in their seating area and served me tea and fruits”, she said, further adding that despite all the efforts, he persistently asked for her whereabouts.
Legal Action Taken
Following a complaint lodged by the woman’s parents, a case was registered against Saraogi with the Bidhannagar City Police in Kolkata. He is also accused under Sections 74, 75, and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Code for a criminal assault or use of force with intention to outrage modesty, sexual harassment, and committing the offence of insult and intrusion upon the privacy of the woman.
Naveen Jindal Responds to Allegations and Clarifies Saraogi’s Employment Status
Mentioning BJP MP and Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Naveen Jindal in her social media update to take action against Saraogi, whom she accused of being a senior executive director in one of the companies of Jindal, the latter was quick to throw support and assurance in his response. “Thanks a lot for reaching out and speaking out! It takes a lot of courage to do what you did, and I want you to know we are going to have a zero-tolerance policy for such matters,” answered Jindal, promising an immediate inquiry and the strictest necessary action.
Thereafter, Jindal Steel issued a statement that Saraogi had left them last year itself. He is presently the CEO of Vulcan Green Steel, Oman. The incident has roused an immense debate over corporate responsibility and the necessity to have strict policies against harassment.