Air India air hostess accuses senior executive of sexual harassment; 'over six years I was sexually assaulted, tortured,' pens to Suresh Prabhu
An Air India air hostess, who is a single mother accused a senior airline executive of sexually harassing her for last six years and alleged that the airline management has not taken any action on her complaint that she made last September. The air hostess wrote in a letter shared on Twitter titled, 'Request for justice, sexual harassment and discrimination at the workplace by Air India senior executive', that the official 'sexually propositioned', 'abused' her, and also used foul language.
The staffer took to Twitter and wrote to Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu seeking “help” on Tuesday to get the airline to act.
In a complaint written to Suresh Prabhu on May 25, the “proud single mother” air hostess claimed “a senior executive over last six years has sexually harassed, tortured and discriminated against me…. this senior executive (whose name will be revealed when I meet you) is a predator and has sexually… abused me… and has tried to compel women in his office (including me) to come and drink with him at various bars and many of us have been forced to do so…. He has insulted and denied me positions and privileges after I rejected his advances… he has made my life a misery and work and continues to do so.”
“Sadly the AI women’s cell did nothing… During the mockery of inquiry… the lady chairperson of the committee had to temerity to respond ‘you know how he talks. He has even flirted with me like this so many times’.”
“In any other company, this offending officer would either have been suspended or transferred out. Yet in AI, through his old boys’ club, (he) has continued to serve in the same office,” she says in her letter to Prabhu, marked also to Prime Minister Modi, while seeking a meeting with the minister.
"I used the internal processes because I did not want to attract publicity or attention, in the media or the Airline, but six years of torture and nine months of torturous delay and coverups have left me frustrated," she said.
Following this, Union Minister tweeted that he has asked Air India chairman “to immediately address this issue.” Prabhu wrote on Twitter: "Asked Air India CMD to immediately address this issue. If necessary, will appoint another committee."
Meanwhile, Chetan Sanghi, Joint Secretary in Ministry of Women and Child has asked the women to email the particulars at min-wcd@nic.in. "We will get it surely looked into," he said in a tweet.
First published: 29 May 2018, 18:41 IST