'False and baseless': Sajjan Jindal denies rape charges

A 30-year-old woman has accused industrialist Sajjan Jindal of raping her after promising to marry her, a charge denied on Sunday by the billionaire.

The woman, whose social media profile describes her as an actor, claimed she met Jindal (64), the chairman and managing director of the $23-billion JSW Group, at a cricket match in Dubai a few years ago which led to a friendship and subsequently to the industrialist getting attracted to her.

The alleged sexual assault happened on January 24 last year inside the JSW Group headquarters, the woman, a Mumbai resident, has claimed, adding that the industrialist had promised to marry her.

She approached the police on February 16 this year, and the first information report (FIR) was filed at the BKC police station in Mumbai on December 13 under sections 376 (rape), 354 (outraging modesty of a woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

In a statement issued on Sunday evening, Jindal denied the allegations, saying they were false and baseless.

“He is committed to providing full cooperation throughout the investigation.

"As the investigation is ongoing, we will refrain from commenting further at this stage.

"We kindly request you to respect the privacy of the family,” said the statement, issued by the industrialist in his personal capacity.

The 30-year-old woman has claimed that she first met Jindal in the VIP box of the Dubai stadium, where they exchanged contact numbers.

She claims she later met Jindal inside a star hotel in suburban Bandra and south Mumbai's Jindal Mansion and also went on a drive with him in a car before the alleged sexual assault.

In the FIR, she mentions that Jindal has been avoiding contact with her since the alleged sexual assault.