These Women Fought Against Sexual Harassment Long Before ‘MeToo’

These women faced sexual harassment before social media was an open platform to raise your voice on.

The fight against sexual harassment began long before ‘MeToo’. 

(Photo: iStock)

With a rising number of politicians, actors, directors, authors and others being called out on charges of sexual harassment over the past few weeks, the debate around the active presence of a “MeToo” movement in India has been ongoing.

Some accused have chosen to file defamation suits, like Union Minister MJ Akbar against one of his many accusers Priya Ramani and ‘sanskaari’ actor Alok Nath against Vinta Nanda.

YRF’s Business Head Ashish Patil and director Sajid Khan were removed from their assignments once allegations against them surfaced.

But what about the women who faced harassment before the age of social media? How did they speak up and get people to listen?

These women may not have had a platform like Twitter or Facebook, but they were brave enough to call a spade a spade and speak out against their offenders – who were usually prominent and influential – to seek justice, irrespective of whether the verdict was in their favour or not.

1. Shehnaz Mudbhatkal vs Abdul Bahrani

Shehnaz Mudbhatkal, a flight attendant with Saudi Arabian Airlines, was removed from her job for alleging that her employer, one Abdul Allah Bahrani, had sexually harassed her.

As per the official details of the case, Bahrani, who had joined the airline as a Station Manager (Airport) in 1983, would keep making sexual advances towards her despite her telling him firmly that she was not interested.

After she rejected him, Bahrani would allegedly harass her in different ways.

When he still refused to stop, Shehnaz took the matter to the petitioner's Country Manager (India), who told her that action would be taken.

News soon reached Bahrani, who, now vindictive, continued to harass her, even threatening to call in favours to ensure that her husband, who was working at Saudi Arabia at the time, lost his job.

Pushed to the limit, when Shehnaz took up the matter to the higher authorities - in this case, the Deputy Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General for Civil Aviation, Saudi Arabia - on 1 August 1985, she promptly received a pre-dated letter, terminating her service for being “guilty of wilful insubordination” and “acts of negligence”. 

Not losing faith, Shehnaz fought the case for 11 whole years, until, finally, on 16 April 1996, the First Labour Court, Mumbai, concluded that the 1st respondent had been “subjected to sexual harassment by her superior officer, Bahrani, and that she was victimised for not yielding to the improper sexual advances of the said superior officer by dismissal from service on false and trumped up allegations.”

Following this, the Labour Court directed the reinstatement of her job with the airline, with full effect, from 25 July 1985 with all attendant benefits.

2. Rupan Deol Bajaj vs K S Gill

In this highly infamous case, Rupan Deol Bajaj, an IAS officer, had alleged that her superior, “supercop” KPS Gill - nicknamed such due to his role in tackling the Punjab insurgency during his time as the director general of police in the state - had groped her in an office party back in 1988.

When Bajaj had complained of Gills’ inappropriate behaviour to the other senior officers, they had ignored and dismissed her allegations. Refusing to be intimidated, she was forced to take the matter to court.

After several years of battle between the two parties at court, Gill was finally pronounced guilty in 1996. On being declared guilty of the charges, he was awarded a three-month jail sentence at first, which eventually led to three years of probation. However, this was later reduced to one year. Along with the sentence, he was made to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 50,000 as costs.

Speaking to India Today at the time of her “moral victory”, Bajaj had said:

Not only has my honour been vindicated, but the ruling is a slap in the face of all those in the state government who had condoned his (Gill’s) misdemeanour and blocked my fight for justice.

Rupan Deol Bajaj

3. Reka Maximovitch vs Phaneesh Murthy

Phaneesh Murthy, the former board member and head global sales of Infosys, had the spotlight of harassment directed his way when he was fired from the company, following allegations by his former executive secretary, Reka Maximovitch.

According to Maximovitch, Murthy had fired her from her job after she refused to continue having a personal relationship with him.

After Maximovitch took the matter up in court, pressing charges against both Murthy and the company, Infosys settled for a $3 million out-of-court settlement, a report by The Hindu Business Line from 2003 stated. Maximovitch had also filed a restraining order against him.

Although this case was settled and was a win for Maximovitch, allegations of sexual harassment were filed against Murthy again - this time in 2013 - by a subordinate employee, Araceli Roiz. Following investigations, Murthy was sacked from the position of President & CEO of iGate, the position he was occupying then.

4. Miss X vs AK Chopra

Ironically, this was the first case of sexual harassment taken up before the Supreme Court after the Vishaka guidelines were implemented.

AK Chopra, a superior officer of the Delhi-based Apparel Export Promotion Council, was accused of sexually harassing a female employee at the workplace, according to official details of the case.

The employee, whose identity remains unknown, was working as a clerk-cum-typist at the time, and had alleged that on 12 August1988, Chopra had tried to molest her.

According to her statement, Chopra had directed her to accompany him for an official meeting that she wasn’t qualified for, following which, he had taken her to an isolated place in the building - on the pretext to help her take down official notes - and attempted to sit too close to her and touch her inappropriately.

He even tried to molest her in the lift, she alleged. Following the incident, on 17 August 1988, she met with the Director of the company and submitted both an oral and written complaint against Chopra, who was then placed on suspension from the next day.

Following investigations by the Enquiry Officer in the case, Chopra was found guilty.

5. Dr Rina Mukherji Vs ‘The Statesman’

Senior journalist Dr Rina Mukherji's ordeal also dates back to the time of no social media and no online campaigns against sexual offenders. Sixteen years ago, Dr Mukherji was fired from her job at The Statesman where she was a senior reporter, for a sexual harassment complaint against the then news coordinator Ishan Joshi.

She had claimed that Joshi, on many occasions, tried to touch her at the workplace. Dr Mukherji was slapped with multiple legal suits and was also "blacklisted by employers" in the industry.

Not many lawyers wanted to get associated with a case where a high-profile man was accused of sexual misconduct at workplace. However, Dr Mukherji had the backing of West Bengal Commission for Women Chairperson Jasodhara Bagchi, who tried to settle the case with the newspaper, but in vain.

With the help of committed and young lawyers, she fought the harrowing battle and after ten long years, on 6 February 2013, the Industrial Tribunal in Kolkata ruled in her favour. 

She was also awarded reinstatement and full back wages from the time she was terminated.

6. Ruchika Girhotra Vs Ex-DGP SPS Rathore

In August 1990, a complaint was filed against the then Inspector-General SPS Rathore after he allegedly molested then 14-year-old Ruchika in Haryana's Panchkula. As per the complaint, the incident took place at Rathore's residence. No action was taken against Rathore even after the inquiry report recommended an FIR.

Ruchika was kicked out of her school and her family members were harassed by authorities. After three years of harassment, Ruchika committed suicide in 1993. Her brother had false cases registered against him.

Rathore filed a number of civil cases against another victim and witness, Aradhana, and would harass her. Even the journalists and lawyers who were covering the case faced the wrath of a man in power. Aradhana's father, who was employed with the Haryana government, was transferred and also faced harassment at his workplace.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was investigating the case, filed a chargesheet in 2000, with the CBI court judge adding the charge of abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the IPC, which was later quashed.

Rathore was sentenced for six months in prison in December 2000. He appealed against the conviction, which was dismissed by the court. In May 2010, he was arrested and sent to jail, and where his sentence was increased to 18 months. 

In January 2018, the former top cop was spotted at a Republic Day event in Haryana, sharing the dais with state officials.

These women, directly or indirectly, fought against sexual harassment relentlessly, often against highly-influential people, to ensure that justice was served. Their fight has set an example for future generations to rise up and speak out.