Sajjan Jindal, the prominent business tycoon and Chairperson of JSW Group, is facing serious allegations of rape and criminal intimidation. A complaint was lodged against Jindal at Mumbai's BKC police station on Wednesday by a 30-year-old actor. Jindal, who serves as the Managing Director of JSW Group, vehemently denies these accusations, dismissing them as "false and baseless."
According to the filed complaint, the incident allegedly took place in Jindal's penthouse in January 2022, where he attempted to sexually assault the complainant. The victim recounted their initial meeting in October 2021 at a cricket stadium in Dubai during an IPL match. Subsequent encounters occurred at the wedding of MP Praful Patel's son in Jaipur. The two exchanged contact information in a business-related meeting in Mumbai, where Jindal expressed interest in purchasing property from the complainant's brother, a real estate consultant in Dubai.
The complainant detailed that Jindal became excessively personal and intrusive after their meeting in Mumbai, repeatedly attempting to force himself on her. She expressed discomfort with his use of terms like "babe" and "baby" and divulging personal issues with his wife, making her feel extremely awkward and uncomfortable. Jindal's flirtatious behavior, frequent hugs, and unwelcome advances further contributed to her discomfort.
Subsequently, the case was escalated to the Bombay High Court when the complainant claimed inactivity on their part. In response, the police registered an FIR against Jindal on Wednesday, citing violations under sections 376 (rape), 354 (outraging a woman’s modesty), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The police assured the court of a thorough investigation, leading to the complainant withdrawing her petition.
The complainant had initially approached the police in February of this year. She alleged that Jindal attempted to offer financial compensation in exchange for withdrawing her complaint, an offer she rejected. Additionally, she claimed that the police, over the course of a year, showed little initiative in addressing the matter, leaving her no option but to seek recourse in the high court.
On December 17th, a statement was released on behalf of Sajjan Jindal in his personal capacity, where he refutes the allegations as baseless. He expressed a commitment to fully cooperate with the investigation. The recent involvement of Jindal in a rape case has had repercussions for JSW Group, resulting in a 2% fall in its stocks.