Ananya Chhaochharia, co-chair of the India Conference at Harvard, has accused a high-ranking executive at Jindal Steel of sexual assault during a flight from Calcutta to Abu Dhabi. Chhaochharia took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her account of the disturbing incident, alleging that the man, whom she identified as a 65-year-old industrialist and longtime employee of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), sexually assaulted her after showing her pornographic content on his phone.
Chhaochharia detailed her harrowing experience, stating that she initially engaged in casual conversation with the man, who she was seated next to on the flight. However, the conversation quickly turned inappropriate when he allegedly began groping her. Chhaochharia described her shock and fear, explaining that she ran to the restroom and immediately reported the incident to the flight staff. She praised the Etihad Airlines team for their swift and supportive response, noting that they made her sit in their seating area and provided her with tea and fruit.
Chhaochharia appealed to Naveen Jindal, the Chairman of Jindal Steel & Power Limited, to take action and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Jindal responded to Chhaochharia’s post, expressing his concern and stating that the company has a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior. He further stated that he has instructed his team to immediately investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
Jindal’s response, while acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations, has been met with skepticism by some, who argue that the company should have a more proactive approach to preventing such incidents from occurring in the first place. The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the importance of addressing sexual harassment and assault, particularly in corporate environments and within the airline industry.
