M A I N   N E W S

Sexual harassment case: Nalco CMD turns in
Our Correspondent

Mumbai, February 25
C. Venkatramana, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Nalco, today surrendered before the Mumbai police in a case in which he was accused of sexually harassing a subordinate, the police said.

Venkatramana, who had been wanted by the police for the past several days, surrendered before the Sahar Police Station today morning after which he was produced before a local court which granted him bail.

A woman employee of Nalco filed a case before the police alleging that Venkatramana and another manager of the company had wanted sexual favours from her in order to obtain a promotion. The incident is said to have occurred on February 8 and the employee filed a with the police complaint a few days later.

Nalco Regional Manager Virender Singh was arrested shortly after the woman filed the complaint. Venkatramana had left Mumbai by that time.

According to the complaint, the 39-year old woman alleged that Virender Singh asked her to accompany him to a five-star hotel where Venkatramana was staying. Virender Singh had allegedly told the woman that the CMD wanted to discuss her promotion, the complainant said. In her complaint, she said, Venkataramana offered her a glass of wine.

The victim’s promotion was long due and she was pursuing the case with the bosses, she said in her complaint.

Rather than accepting his offer, the woman ran out of the hotel room and went home. She filed the complaint soon after.