In yet another instance of #MeToo call, a woman journalist has accused a prominent reporter of sexually harassing her almost 15 years ago.
Sharing her story with The Caravan, former health and science editor at The Hindu, Vidya Krishnan alleged that she was sexually harassed and assaulted by Gaurav Sawant, executive editor at India Today while travelling for a work assignment.
In 2003, Krishnan who was hired at The Pioneer was picked to cover a peacetime drill in a military station at Beas where she had to reportedly work with Gaurav Sawant, who then was covering the defence beat.
In her account, she accused Sawant, the teacher figure that she had looked up to, of molesting her first in an Army jeep and then in her hotel room where he had shown up without her permission.
After a harrowing journey in the Army jeep, she was then faced with a text message from Sawant in which he allegedly wrote that it was “nothing naughty” but that “he just wanted to get into a bathtub with her”.
She wrote he backed off and left the room only after she panicked and screamed.
Sawant has, however, rubbished the article published by The Caravan as “irresponsible, baseless, and completely false”.
“I am talking to my lawyers and will take full legal action. So grateful to my family, friends, and viewers for their support,” he tweeted.
The article published by Caravan is irresponsible, baseless, and completely false. I am talking to my lawyers and will take full legal action. So grateful to my family, friends, and viewers for their support.
— GAURAV C SAWANT (@gauravcsawant) November 12, 2018
With the #MeToo campaign tossing the world around for many, scores of women have been coming forward sharing their harrowing experiences of being sexually assaulted at the hands of a few power-wielding men.
Recently, MJ Akbar, former Minister of State for External Affairs, a journalist-turned-politician was accused of sexual harassment by over 20 women journalists who previously worked with ‘The Asian Age’ newspaper.
Priya Ramani was the first in the list to accuse Akbar of sexual abuse.