Victim of sexual harassment sues Saudi for Rs 1 cr damages

Despite having won an order by the then Chief Justice MB Shah’s bench on November 25, 1998 directing that Saudi Airlines reinstate her, Sani found her reinstatement orders came only on March 1, ’99. Here too she was reinstated as a ground hostess at the airport, though her juniors had been promoted. She was, however, in for a shock when she was transferred to Chennai on March 3 and asked to report within seven days. For Sani, it was a continuous process of harassmentas she had no relatives or friends in Chennai. What was worse, as she refused to go to Chennai, a chargesheet was being processed accusing her of misconduct.

In her civil suit filed on March 19, Sani pleaded the court grant her a permanent injunction against a transfer from Mumbai and restrain the company from proceeding with the chargesheet against her.

Justice AP Shah who heard the case remarked the court had no hesitation in recording that the harassment of the plaintiff continued and granted her the ad interim prayers.

Sani has in her suit valued the harassment against her at Rs 77.58 lakh with an interest of 21 per cent. While it is common in US to sue for damages, it is for the first time that in India, a sexual harassment victim has sued for damages.