Mumbai: The Mumbai Police on Saturday registered an FIR against industrialist Sajjan Jindal in connection to the rape allegations levelled against him. The FIR was filed at the Bandra Kurla Complex Police Station. The development came after a woman in Mumbai accused Jindal of rape and sexual exploitation.
The complainant, an actress, said the crime had taken place in January 2022 in the penthouse atop the company’s head office at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. She also claimed that the BKC police paid no heed to her complaint earlier this year, and she was forced to approach the court, which ordered the police to register the complaint.
Mumbai Police has booked Sajjan Jindal under IPC 376 (rape), IPC 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), and IPC 503 (criminal intimidation).
As per the complainant, she first met Jindal in October 2021 in Dubai when the two were in the VIP box of a stadium, watching an IPL match. After that, they met in Jaipur at the wedding of MP Praful Patel’s son. The actress said Jindal began getting personal and handsy after their meeting in Mumbai, and after repeated propositions, forced himself on her.
“We had exchanged numbers and met in Mumbai because he had expressed interest in buying property from my brother who is a real estate consultant in Dubai,” said the complainant. “He started addressing me as ‘babe’ and ‘baby’, and described all the problems in his marriage when we first met alone, which made me very awkward.” She added that overtures like hugs and flirting from his side also made her feel uncomfortable.
She further alleges that after a few meetings, the accused tried to make sexual advances towards her on more than one occasion, which she repeatedly refused.
She claims several such meetings took place between her and Jindal between October 2021 and January 2022, spanning different locations and cities.
However, the complainant alleges that on January 24, 2022, when she arrived at the penthouse of a building in BKC which houses Jindal’s offices, he raped her.
The FIR says that the complainant first approached the police with her complaint on February 16, 2023. It further states that at that point, she was approached by people purportedly representing Jindal who allegedly urged her to settle the matter and withdraw her complaint.
The FIR was registered on December 13, 2023, a day after the police were ordered to do so by the court.
An official from the BKC police said that based on the actress’ statements, the accused was booked under Sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman, intending to outrage her modesty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. “Further investigation in the matter is under way,” he said.
A spokesperson for JSW Group did not respond to calls and messages from HT seeking response to the allegations made by the woman.
