CEO Accused of Sexual Harassment: Shows Porn Video, Inappropriately Touches Woman on Flight
Harassment Incident on Etihad Airways Flight
Anannya, a 28-year-old passenger, shared her distressing experience while traveling on an Etihad Airways flight from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi on July 16. She recounted that she and another passenger, Dinesh Kumar Sarogi, the CEO of Vulcan Green Steel, a Jindal Group company, were seated in business class. They engaged in brief, casual conversation while standing in line and continued chatting once on the flight.
During their conversation, Sarogi asked Anannya if she enjoyed watching movies, to which she replied affirmatively. He then showed her a pornographic video on his mobile phone. Anannya described feeling shocked and unsure of how to respond initially. She quickly fled to the restroom and informed the crew members about the incident. They provided assistance, although she expressed regret for not screaming or slapping the man.
Currently, no FIR has been registered regarding the incident. However, Naveen Jindal, President of Jindal Steel and Power Limited, stated that an investigation will be conducted and appropriate action will be taken.
Incident on Etihad Airways Flight: Anannya’s Experience
After the incident came to light, Anannya spoke to Bhaskar about her ordeal. Here is the complete account of what happened:
Anannya was traveling from Kolkata to Boston with a connecting flight from Abu Dhabi. She mentioned that there were only 8 passengers in the business class, including Dinesh Kumar Sarogi, whom she did not know beforehand. They introduced themselves while boarding the flight.
“We had normal conversations. He asked if I was traveling to Abu Dhabi and where I was from, which are common questions one might ask a co-passenger. He mentioned that he lives in Oman and travels to India regularly.
“We both belong to the Agarwal-Marwari community from Rajasthan, and we talked about that too. He offered to help me with my work after looking at my profile. He shared information about his family, mentioning that he has two sons who are settled in America and his elder son has two children.
“He was seated next to me on the flight. He asked if I liked watching movies, to which I replied affirmatively. He then took out his mobile and said he had some videos on it, offering me his earphones. He started showing me a pornographic video and began leaning towards me. He touched my waist. I was shocked for a few seconds and didn’t know what to do.
“I ran towards the toilet and informed the crew about the incident. The crew members told me they had noticed my discomfort but couldn’t intervene until I reported it. They realized that the man was showing something inappropriate. The crew was very supportive and seated me near the air hostesses, offering me coffee.
“Even during the flight, the man did not leave me alone. He approached the air hostesses, inquiring about my whereabouts, stating that I had been in the toilet for a long time. The crew members handled him strictly and did not reveal my location throughout the journey.
“Upon landing, the crew swapped my seat with another passenger. The Etihad Airways team was very helpful. When we arrived at the airport, the police were already present. Two officers came inside the plane, one approached me, and the other spoke to the man.
“I could not file a complaint against Sarogi immediately because I had a connecting flight to Boston the same day. The FIR process is ongoing in Kolkata.
Naveen Jindal stated, “We are investigating the matter and will take strict action. It takes a lot of courage to speak out about such incidents.”
Dinesh Kumar Sarogi, 65, is the CEO of Vulcan Green Steel in Oman, a part of Jindal Steel. Until March 2023, he was the executive director on the board of Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel. Before stepping down, he served as the CEO of the steel company.
