Ours is sadly turning out to be ‘No Country For Women’! The past month was a learning experience whereby whatever I learnt makes me very sad, disgusted and utterly hopeless. It mirrored the moral degeneration of our society, particularly the educated lot and also gave an insight of how self-centered we have become.
On March 12, 2017 I posted a story about ‘Sexual Harassment at Workplace’ at PLAZA PREMIUM LOUNGE (a MNC) in T3 at IGI Airport, New Delhi. The victims are two female employees of Plaza Premium Lounge who are of 20 and 21 years of age, respectively. The alleged sexual harasser is the General Manger of Plaza Premium Lounge, Francis Gill.
The victims of molestation and sexual harassment are NOT known to me. I have never met them. They approached me through an acquaintance of mine and I instantly promised to help in whatever little way I can. I have friends in high-places. Yes, I think they are my friends without benefits! I have friends who know all the top-cops of Delhi; powerful friends who know Cabinet Ministers in NDA Government; industrialist friends who are friends with other industrialists and tycoons and could have easily called the Founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Lounge – Song Hoi-see or Dinesh Jhunjhunwal, the MD of its Indian operations; have resourceful friends who have the private phone number of the owner of GMR on their speed-dial; friends who are top editors in newspapers and news channels, friends who are big-shot lawyers and famous people who appear on TV debates to debate passionately on Women’s Rights and Protection and friends who are feminists. I made an open appeal for help but got negligible response. Whenever I written something about some hot-shot that was not pleasant, I was flooded with calls to take the story off and sometimes was even offered bribes.
Few well-travelled, learned and respected people who I approached for assistance questioned my motive. They wanted to know why I wanted to help the victims. They wanted to know if I am related to the victims or I fancied one of the two 20-year-old-girls or if I had an agenda against the Plaza Premium Lounge and it’s owner or the accused sexual predator, Francis Gill. Some also asked how I was so sure that the girls were sexually harassed and not accusing the GM for ulterior gains. I wanted to help the victims to get an FIR registered, which the cops were suspiciously not doing. Once FIR is done, investigation happens and then law takes its course to find out the truth. Who are you and I to question if the victims are saying the truth. Law says the victims complaint has to be heard and FIR registered. Period!
Anyway after persistent struggle I got help and that too from women who I had given grief in this very website by posting unpleasant stories. I salute these ladies. Tanisha Mohan came forward and contacted the DCP, Airport and kept pursuing him against odds to get the victims’ complaint heard and FIR registered. On the 23rd of March 2017, Tanisha Mohan helped the victims to get their FIR registered. Thank You!
All that noise about law being strengthened for Women’s protection is a big farce. Vishaka Guidelines and ICC are blatantly disregarded in most organizations. In fact ICC more often than not supports the sexual harasser as often he/she is in position of power. In this case of Plaza Premium Lounge, as per law, the alleged sexual harasser should had been arrested post FIR and the Company should had suspended him with immediate effect. What happened in reality was that GM Francis Gill was tipped off so that he got himself admitted in a hospital to avoid arrest. The company has not suspended him. In fact he comes to office everyday and intimidate the victims. ICC has been making the victims go through hell by asking gory-details of sexual harassment in presence of many staff members. ICC is doing this for the past three days and making it embarrassing and unbearable for the victims. The agenda is simple – harass the victims so that they leave the company and amidst all this, the sexual predator openly intimidates the victims and mocks them by saying that he is so powerful that nobody can touch him..
I want to salute Sabaah S Sheikh. I gave her grief too, in my posts. Sabaah promptly got a fine lawyer, Sapna Chauhan who has fought similar cases. Sabaah also volunteered to bear the legal expenses. A big thank you!
Sapna Chauhan has come as a ray of hope to these two girls. She is taken this case on Pro-Bono basis. The police station was not providing the victims the copy of the FIR. Sapna got in action and FIR copies were given promptly. Thank a ton!
I don’t want to name and shame those who I approached and got no help bur sermon – “Bro don’t get involved in this.” Thanks but no thanks for your advise. Just be careful and do ensure that this sexual predator, Francis Gill is not present at the Plaza Premium Lounge when your own family members are awaiting there to board a flight.
Usually all the newspapers lift posts from your site without crediting you, strange they aren’t bothered to investigate and cover this case when you need to put heat on the matter as it could induce right action to be taken. I do think Francis Gill’s time is up, more than optimism it’s just a strong feeling. As long as people use their activist voice, women can dream of safety in this country. If every person asked themselves; – how do you live and sleep at night knowing that someone you know or know of is distressed on in trouble? Don’t get involved, – if every human had that attitude we wouldn’t have much peace.
Today’s DNA has carried it
https://twitter.com/jack_darip/status/848020460847587329
Good that you have helped them Jack. Very few people come out like this. Thanks a lot.
Also I appreciate the fact that you gave credit to the women who helped you out and accepted that some of your stories about them were not the lost pleasant ones.
Everyone has a bright side – and they showed theirs to you and to those two girls who showed the real courage.
@Monu thanks.
I just helped two helpless girls who approached for support. It doesn’t take much.
I had to give credit to these ladies who did the real work and I have never runaway from owning responsibility for what I do.
This website of mine is slotted in a segment that the name suggests. I chose the segment and write things that my readers want and mostly earn me flak but I am okay with it and deal with them. The very fact that I can call the ladies about whom I written unpleasant stories says that they can tolerate my nastiness.
Such is life.
Still hoping that things work out for the victims and the alleged sexual harasser is suspended.
Hats off to these women! Well done jack for helping ppl who need support. Let’s hope gill learns his lesson now.
Hi guys “Francis Gill is still attending office he is asking every staff to write against these girls by threatening them or for Francis he give his chamchas by giving them a Lucrative offers about there job profile they have been promoted out of the way and they all were there as his witness .No justice still….
@Bruce if you are witness to Gill attending office you can do your bit by clicking a photo and sending it to me.
It is a joint effort where every person who can contribute to punish the guilty should do their bit.
We are doing whatever we can.
Yuck! They won’t change until you hit their pockets. Tell us what other companies, services, and products GMR, Song Hoi-see and Dinesh Jhunjhunwal own and we won’t use or buy them until this issue is resolved.
Once it hits where it hurts them they will see the light!
Would appreciate if u can mail dinesh.jhunjhunwala@plaza-network.com n make friends also to send. Flood his phone with calls on +9199021110666
Song Hoi-see mail u can find on web and do a FB or Twitter campaign to boycottt their Delhi Team for IPL
They all are responsible
If I can make it go viral your effort would be most valuable
This much problem is happened here then also why the company was not take any action against this culprit…. So we can say that company is still supporting him and there is no value for girls in this company.. Why the Sr.Hr Manager Ms.karabi Devi and the country Manager Mr.Mohan Limbu.. Was not take any action against Mr.Francis , so there is no safety for girls in this company….rules and regulations are only for selected people for this company….nothing will happen here this things are going only for formalities.. Because if the company support Mr.Francis Gill there will not get any justice for these two young girls… So there fight for justice is like a futile attempt…