#MeToo: Tata Group looking into sexual harassment reports against Suhel Seth

The Tata Group stated that it is looking into the allegations of sexual harassment against Suhel Seth, a brand consultant for the group. He played an important role when the Tata Group was rebuilding its brand after a massive management crisis in 2016. Seth worked with the Tata Group’s public relations team when the Ratan Tata-Cyrus Mistry corporate spat broke out. He is also the chief executive of a consultancy firm called Counselage.

“Tata Group is committed to promoting a safe workplace for women. We have noted the recent reports regarding Mr Seth in the media. We are looking into the issue and will decide on a further course of action in this regard,” a Tata Group spokesperson said a report in the Economic Times.

Suhel Seth has been accused of sexual misconduct by six women including model Diandra Soares, filmmaker Natashja Rathore, writer Ira Trivedi, writer Ishita Yadav and journalist Mandakini Gahlot.

Film director and creative producer Natashja Rathore posted screenshots of what she sent to Suhel Seth on WhatsApp, detailing how he took her to his home, instead of to Janpath, as was planned and threw himself at her even though she was clearly uncomfortable. She has written, "You shoved your tongue in my throat even when I resisted..."

Former Bigg Boss contestant Diandra Soares has alleged that Suhel Seth "shoved his f**king tongue down my mouth. I bit him with all my might..."

Author Ira Trivedi has alleged that Suhel Seth made lewd comments over the years. In a first person account, she wrote, "Once he commented on the size of my breasts, saying that I shouldn't wear a bra, another time he asked me if I had waxed my legs or not, and once at another literature festival under the effect of alcohol, he made several throwaway comments about my “sexy yoga poses” on TV."

Journalist Mandakini Gahlot also named Suhel Seth stating that he had “ publicly harassed and humiliated” her when she was 26 years old.

The #MeToo movement started when Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her 10 years ago. This started the #MeToo movement on twitter with several other women speaking out against their harassers. Women from the entertainment and media industry started calling out actors and journalists for having harassed them.

Prominent names who have faced allegations as part of the #MeToo movement include Bollywood actors Nana Patekar and Alok Nath, director Sajid Khan and former editor and junior external affairs minister MJ Akbar. MJ Akbar has since resigned from his post and filed a defamation suit against Priya Ramani.