Air India staff alleges sexual harassment, Suresh Prabhu assures action
New Delhi : An air hostess of Air India has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioning about sexual harassment by a senior official. In her letter titled ‘Request for justice, sexual harassment and discrimination at the workplace by Air India senior executive’, the air hostess said the senior executive ‘sexually propositioned’ and ‘abused’ her.
In the letter, the Air Hostess mentioned her ordeal, “I have been forced to bring my serious complaint of sexual harassment and gross and deliberate discrimination by a senior officer of Air India over the last few years to your kind self, since the management of Air India has refused to deal with the matter seriously, and in fact are now considering rewarding him for sexual. harassment against us.”
“Without mincing any words, this senior executive (whose name will be revealed when I meet you) is a predator and has sexually propositioned me, abused me, used abusive language on other women in my presence, spoken of sexual acts with me and other women in my presence in the office premises and has tried to compel women in his office (including me) to come and drink with him at various bars,” she wrote in her letter.
The victim further said the Air India’s women’s cell did not take action despite repeated complaints. “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. The letter, which was shared by the victim on Twitter, was brought to the notice of Suresh Prabhu by a leading journalist of the country.
Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu, on the other hand, has assured a strict action against the official if found guilty in the matter. “If necessary, will appoint another committee,” he said in a tweet.
