The output editor of TV9 Bharatvarsh, Ajay Azad, has reportedly tendered his resignation after allegations of sexual harassment was filed against him by two of his women colleagues within two days of each other this month.
The respondent has since resigned. His resignation has been accepted with immediate effect.
— TV9 भारतवर्ष (@TV9Bharatvarsh) January 24, 2020
According to the complaints filed by the victims, Azad is accused of harassment, solicitation and threatening them. The complainants have accused Azad of sending them lewd messages, requesting them for sexual favours in lieu of aiding their career advancement.
The issue came to light when two journalists took to Twitter to express shock and concern over rampant sexual harassment going on at TV9 Bharatvarsh. Journalist Ajit Anjum, without naming the channel, posted a tweet stating that some girls had filed serious allegations with proof against a “rapist mentality” senior.
Anjum expressed his astonishment that despite providing the evidence, no action was taken against the “senior” for his unsavoury sexual advances against the women trainees.
ये तीन स्क्रीन शॉट एक सीनियर TV पत्रकार की मानसिक विकृति के सबूत हैं.
अपने ओहदे का इस्तेमाल करके ट्रेनी लड़कियों को अपने जाल में फंसाने की कोशिश कर रहे इस शख्स की असलियत सुनकर हैरान हूं.
उन लड़कियों ने अपने बॉस को एक्सपोज करने की हिम्मत न दिखाई होती तो पता नहीं ये किस हद तक जाता pic.twitter.com/vQ90hmBmpV— Ajit Anjum (@ajitanjum) January 24, 2020
Anjum also shared screenshots of a conversation between the ‘senior’ journalist and the apprentice in which the “senior” can be seen proceeding with his amorous overtures with the trainee.
Another journalist, Vinod Kapri, too shared a long thread on the sexual exploitation faced by the trainees at TV9 Bharatvarsh, allegedly at the hands of senior editor-Ajay Azad. Khapri alleged that Azad used to pressurise his women colleagues to “open up” in front of him, refrain from calling him “Sir”, consider him as their friends, meet him outside office hours and invite him over at their residence.
आरोप है कि ये संपादक, महिला ट्रेनी पत्रकारों पर लगातार दबाव डालते रहे कि वो इनके सामने खूब खुलें, इन्हें सर ना बोले, दोस्त मानें, इनसे ऑफिस के बाहर मिले, इन्हें अपने घर बुलाएँ और फिर इतनी अश्लील भाषा कि मैं यहाँ लिख भी नहीं सकता।#MeToo 3/18
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) January 23, 2020
As per Vinod, the complaint against Ajay Azad was filed 6 days ago on January 17-18, by a trainee. The trainee alleged in her complaint that Azad has been sending her objectionable messages for two consecutive months, from two in the morning until the next day.
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According to the complainant, Azad kept prodding her to “open-up” or risk being successful. The trainee was offered her own show, a promise of launching her as an anchor provided she “opened up” with him, Kapri alleged.
शिकायत के मुताबिक़ ये संपादक कविता को लिखते रहे कि वो उनके सामने खुले,वो नहीं खुलेगी तो आगे कैसे बढ़ेगी? वो चाहेगी तो संपादक उसे उसका अपना शो दे देंगे , एंकर भी बना देंगे।उसे बहुत आगे ले जाएँगे।पर उससे पहले कविता को खुलना होगा।सर नहीं कहना होगा। #MeToo 6/18
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) January 23, 2020
Kapri claimed that Azad harassed the second victim for as least 5 weeks. He used to send her lewd messages till 3 in the night and then again from seven in the morning. The plaintiff also alleged that the accused alluded her to “break all the barriers” and consider him as her own.
दूसरी ट्रेनी सरिता ( बदला हुआ नाम ) की शिकायत के मुताबिक़ अजय ने उसे पूरे पाँच हफ़्ते तक बहुत परेशान किया।रात में तीन बजे तक मैसेज और फिर सुबह सात बजे से फिर मैसेज।इस ट्रेनी को भी ये संपादक खुलने, सारी दीवार गिराने और सर नहीं बोलने और अपना मानने की सलाह देता रहा। #MeToo 10/18
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) January 23, 2020
As per the complaint filed by the second victim, Ajay persistently kept asking her to meet him outside the office, at a mall or a restaurant or at her place, which she always avoided. She has also accused that Azad started sending her “kisses” etc. on messages. She avoided as much she could while saving her job. However, the plaintiff adds that this only emboldened Azad and his language worsened as he started using vulgar references while commenting on body parts and soliciting her to join him in a room, hotel etc.
एक ट्रेनी नौकरी बचाते हुए जितना टाल सकती थी,उसने टाला।लेकिन इससे संपादक का हौसला और बढ़ गया और शिकायत के मुताबिक़ उसकी भाषा बेहद सड़कछाप और अश्लील होती चली गई।शरीर के हर हिस्से पर भद्दी टिप्पणी के अलावा वो बिस्तर, होटल आदि चलने की बात लिखने लगा।#MeToo 12/18
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) January 23, 2020
As the revelations by Kapri and Anjum took the social media by storm, TV9 Bharatvarsh reacted to the charges of sexual harassment by posting a series of tweets, informing about the progress in the aforesaid incident. The news channel admitted that sexual harassment complaints were filed by two journalists against a senior editor and the matter has been transferred to ICC, as per the Sexual harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act 2013.
After hearing the complainants and witnesses, the ICC served notice on the respondent. Immediately after the ICC indicated the initiation of a full inquiry, the management sent the respondent on leave for the duration of the inquiry.
— TV9 भारतवर्ष (@TV9Bharatvarsh) January 24, 2020
The ICC sent a notice to the respondent after hearing the complaints filed by the victims. The official Twitter handle of TV9 Bharatvarsh asserted that the accused has been sent on leave for the duration of the full inquiry into the matter, following which the respondent had resigned and his resignation was immediately accepted by the organisation.
