Jindal Steel clarifies as top executive accused of groping woman on flight: ‘No longer…’

The woman had accused Dinesh Kumar Saraogi of sexual assault during a flight from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi on July 19. A day after a woman claimed that a senior Jindal Steel executive groped her on a flight, the company clarified that the man is no longer associated with it in any capacity. “We wish to inform that Mr. Dinesh Kumar Saraogi had resigned from his position as Director of the Company, effective from the close of business hours of March 28, 2023,” Jindal Steel and Power Limited said in a letter to the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India Limited. “Mr. Dinesh Kumar Saraogi is no longer associated with the Company in any capacity,” it added. Saraogi is currently CEO of the Oman-based Vulcan Green Steel, described as a part of Jindal Steel Group on its website. HT has learnt that Vulcan Green Steel has set up a probe committee and sent Saraogi on leave. Ananya Chhaochharia, founder of Paint it Red (an NGO working for menstrual rights), accused Dinesh Kumar Saraogi of sexual assault on Kolkata-Abu Dhabi flight and drew the attention of Jindal Steel promoter and BJP MP Naveen Jindal on the matter. In a post on X, Chhaochharia alleged that Saraogi was seated next to her when he initiated a “very normal” conversation, which later 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!” the woman posted. “He started groping me. I was frozen in shock and scare. I eventually ran off to the washroom and complained to the air staff,” she alleged, noting that the flight crew immediately took action. She also tagged Naveen Jindal, who assured “strictest and necessary” action while directing an 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,” Jindal said in his response to the victim’s post threads on X.