FIR filed against JSW Steel MD Sajjan Jindal after 30-year-old woman submits complaint to the Bandra Kurla Complex police
Representation Pic
The Bandra Kurla Complex police have registered an FIR against Sajjan Jindal, the Managing Director of JSW Steel, for allegedly sexually harassing and assaulting a 30-year-old woman multiple times over a period of nearly two years.
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According to police sources, the FIR was registered on Wednesday, after the complainant, who had already submitted an application seeking a case be filed against Jindal in February, approached the court over the delay in action by the police. mid-day reached out to Jindal on Friday via his contact number mentioned by the complainant in her statement, as well as to his PR and legal teams on Saturday.
The victim had submitted her application to the police in this regard on February 13 this year. When there was no action on the same, the complainant approached the Bombay High Court earlier this year. The court sought a response from the police, who said that they would be registering an FIR, which was subsequently filed on Wednesday.
According to the FIR accessed by mid-day, the complainant met Jindal in October 2021, when they were both in Dubai to watch an Indian Premier League (IPL) match. Both were in the VIP box at the time and the complainant’s brother, too, was present. They allegedly got talking and agreed to keep in touch, as her brother wanted to explore a possible business association with Jindal. For the same reason, the complainant’s brother asked her to keep in touch with Jindal.
The woman has said in her statement that upon her return to India in December 2021, she messaged Jindal, and he responded. They met again in Jaipur later in 2021, at the wedding of a prominent politician’s son, where Jindal allegedly tried to get friendly with her.
Following this, he allegedly started referring to her as ‘babe’ and ‘baby’ in his text messages, and insisted on meeting in private settings, citing concerns about his ‘image’. The complainant, however, insisted on meeting for coffee in public and Jindal allegedly kept expressing his inclination towards a romantic relationship.
The FIR states that on December 23, 2021, Jindal shared his credit card details with the complainant via WhatsApp, which she did not use. Subsequently, the woman met him on the next day at a suite in the Taj Land’s End hotel in Bandra, which she booked in her name, allegedly at Jindal’s behest. During this meeting, Jindal allegedly tried to get physically intimate with her, but she warded off his advances.
“He later kept sending me messages with ‘kiss’ and similar emojis, and requested me to send ‘hot’ pictures of myself. I chose not to respond to these messages. Then, on December 26, 2021, he visited my residence and we went for a drive, during which he held my hand and offered to give me a bungalow and car, and set up a business for me.
When I broached the subject of a legal relationship, he said that it would not be acceptable in India, but that we could live as man and wife abroad. I refused,” the complainant has said in her statement to the police, which is part of the FIR.
She has added in her statement that Jindal kept trying to persuade her to start an intimate relationship, and she kept insisting that this would only be possible after they got married. During these conversations, Jindal is alleged to have displayed possessive behaviour towards her.
Further, Jindal allegedly forced her into some degree of intimacy on December 27, 2021, when she had gone to his Pedder Road residence to discuss their marriage plans, due to which the complainant left abruptly. This was allegedly repeated at his office in BKC on January 5, 2022.
On January 24, 2022, the complainant had gone to his office in BKC when he invited her to see the penthouse. There, he allegedly forced himself on her, and when she reacted angrily, he allegedly calmed her down, asking her not to create a scene in his office, and also said that he would marry her. When she left, he allegedly reduced and ultimately cut off all communication, threatening her with dire consequences if she did not leave him alone.
“I sent him a WhatsApp message on June 28, 2022, saying I wanted to talk about whatever had happened, but he blocked my number.
I was hesitant to approach the authorities due to his stature but the events had taken a toll on me, and my family noticed this. When they asked me what was wrong, I told them the truth and they encouraged me to file a complaint, after which I submitted an application at the BKC police station on February 13 this year,” the complainants’ statement says.
The FIR was filed on Wednesday under sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. “The case has been registered and is being investigated based on the evidence provided by the complainant. The accused will be called in for inquiries as and when required,” a senior officer with the Mumbai Police told mid-day on condition of anonymity.
Jindal denies allegations
In an official statement on Sunday, Jindal denied all the allegations and said, "Mr. Sajjan Jindal denies these false and baseless allegations. He is committed to providing full cooperation throughout the investigation. As the investigation is ongoing, we will refrain from commenting further at this stage. We kindly request you to respect the privacy of the family."
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