Allegations of Sexual Harassment on Etihad Airways Flight Spark Investigation at Jindal Steel

A distressing account of alleged sexual harassment by a senior executive from Jindal Steel has surfaced, drawing attention and prompting a response from the company. The incident reportedly occurred on an Etihad Airways flight from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi.

In a detailed post on the social media platform X, a woman who identifies herself as the co-chair of the India Conference at Harvard University, shared her harrowing experience. She recounted being seated next to an individual she identified as a senior executive from Jindal Steel, who she claimed misbehaved with her during the flight.

The woman described the executive as being in his mid-sixties and said that he initially engaged her in casual conversation. “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 Etihad and the Abu Dhabi police for the support they provided me.” She recalled that she was sitting “next to an industrialist” who she said was “CEO of Jindal Steel”.

However, she alleged that the conversation took a disturbing turn when the executive showed her pornographic material on his phone and subsequently groped her.  “He must be roughly 65 in age and 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… The conversation moved to what my hobbies are. He asked if I enjoy watching movies and 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 said. She reported feeling “frozen in shock and fear.” “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 proactive and took action immediately. They made me sit at their seating area and served me tea and fruits,” she added that she sought refuge in the aircraft’s washroom before notifying the flight attendants.

“He kept calling them to ask where I had gone. The staff also informed the cops at Abu Dhabi who were waiting as soon as the gates of the aircraft opened. I could not proceed with a complaint because I would have missed my connecting flight to Boston,” she added. “I was escorted to the next gate to ensure he does not come near me. He also did not deny this when the cops asked him questions.”

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Etihad Airways staff, according to her account, responded swiftly and provided her with a safe space and refreshments. They also contacted Abu Dhabi police, who were waiting upon the plane’s arrival. The woman chose not to file an official complaint at that time to avoid missing her connecting flight to Boston.

“I am sharing this because I want to remind everyone that something like this can happen to anyone. I am working to get this incident out to the founder of Jindal Steel, MP Naveen Jindal, so that he is aware of the kind of people who are in leadership. I am also afraid of how this molester must be treating his female employees from a place of power. I feel violated but I also want to make sure this never happens to another woman,” she wrote on social media expressing her concerns about the potential implications of the executive’s behavior on his professional conduct, particularly in his role at Jindal Steel. She emphasized her desire to ensure that such incidents are brought to light to prevent future occurrences.

Naveen Jindal reacts

Jindal Steel Chairman Naveen Jindal responded to the allegations on July 19. In his statement, Jindal expressed gratitude to the woman for coming forward and assured that the company adheres to a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment. “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 strictest and necessary action will be taken.” He committed to a thorough investigation into the incident and pledged that appropriate action would be taken based on the findings.