Jindal Steel Clarifies CEO Status Amid Harassment Allegations

Jindal Steel clarified that Dinesh Kumar Saraogi, accused of harassing a woman passenger during an international flight, is not their CEO, but rather holds a CEO position at Vulcan Green Steel in Oman. The incident prompted Lok Sabha MP Naveen Jindal to assure an investigation and appropriate action.

Jindal Steel clarified on Friday that Dinesh Kumar Saraogi, accused of harassment by a woman passenger during an international flight, has not been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company since last year. In a statement, Jindal Steel said Saraogi is currently the CEO of Vulcan Green Steel in Oman.

"Dinesh Kumar Saraogi, implicated in harassing a woman on an Etihad flight, has not been a Jindal Steel executive since last year. He is now the CEO of Vulcan Green Steel, Oman, and has no direct connection with Jindal Steel and Power," the statement read. On July 19, Ananya Chhaochharia, founder of Paint it Red, accused Saraogi of sexual assault on a flight from Calcutta to Abu Dhabi. She tagged Jindal Steel founder and BJP MP Naveen Jindal in her post for attention.

Addressing the complaint, MP Naveen Jindal promised a thorough investigation. "Thank you for speaking up; it takes courage. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for such issues. An immediate investigation will ensue, followed by the strictest necessary actions," Jindal responded to Chhaochharia's post on X.

In her detailed account, Chhaochharia described Saraogi showing her pornographic content and later groping her, for which she praised the Etihad staff's prompt response. "He started groping me. I was frozen in shock. Thankfully, the Etihad team was pro-active, relocating me and informing Abu Dhabi police. I couldn't file a complaint due to connecting flight constraints," she said. She also sought to bring the incident to the attention of Jindal Steel's founder, expressing concerns about Saraogi's conduct towards female employees.

(With inputs from agencies.)