(Trigger Warning: Mentions of rape and sexual assault. Reader discretion advised.)
The Mumbai Police has registered a case of alleged rape and criminal intimidation against the chairman and managing director of JSW Group Sajjan Jindal based on a complaint filed by a 30-year-old actor.
In a statement on Sunday, 17 December, Jindal denied the allegations, claiming they were "false and baseless."
The case: The Mumbai Police has booked Jindal under Sections 376 (rape), 503 (criminal intimidation), and 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
What happened? The incident allegedly took place at Jindal's Mumbai office on 24 January 2022. When she approached the police a few days later, they reportedly refused to take action, the complainant told the media.
In an interview with CNBC-TV18, the complainant said, "I approached the police on 16 February 2023. They barely scribbled down a rough statement. They didn't even give me a copy of that statement. No FIR was filed. Finally, on 5 December 2023, I filed a writ petition against the police in Bombay High Court."
The Mumbai Police registered the FIR on 13 December, following the Bombay HC order.
More details: According to the FIR, the woman visited Jindal at his office at around 7 pm on 24 January 2022, where he allegedly raped her in the penthouse of the building and promised to marry her.
Jindal then asked her not to shout because they were in his office building, the FIR states. She also mentioned in her complaint that Jindal was overly friendly with her and also expressed his romantic feelings towards her despite being married.
In her statement, she cited two other occasions when Jindal forcefully kissed her – once at his house on Peddar Road and again in his BKC office.
Who Is Sajjan Jindal?
With business interests in steel, energy, infrastructure, and cement, Sajjan Jindal's JSW Group is one of the largest business conglomerates in India. It had an aggregate market capitalisation of Rs 3.37 lakh crore as on 15 December.
With a net worth of US$ 28.9 billion, the Jindal family is said to be the fourth-richest in India, according to Forbes.
Jindal's office, in response to the allegations, 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."
As per Moneycontrol, JSW Group's stocks fell 2-3 percent on Monday, 18 December, after the allegations surfaced.
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