Police asks Nalco CMD to surrender

The Chairman and Managing Director of National Aluminium Corporation (Nalco), C Venkataramana, who faces charges of molesting a woman employ...

The Chairman and Managing Director of National Aluminium Corporation (Nalco), C Venkataramana, who faces charges of molesting a woman employee, has been told to surrender before the Mumbai Police.

The head of the Rs 2,788-crore public sector aluminium giant allegedly molested a 43-year-old employee in his hotel room during an official trip to Mumbai last week.

Following the complaint, the company’s regional manager Virender Singh had also been detained on Wednesday as a co-accused. The employee had complained that Singh was also present at the hotel when the alleged molestation took place. Singh was granted bail after a brief hearing at a metropolitan court on Friday afternoon.

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Venkataramana, 55, who is reportedly camping in New Delhi, could not be contacted. When The Indian Express called him on his mobile on Thursday, it was switched off. His close associates in Bhubaneshwar, where he is based, told The Indian Express that the ‘entire case was fabricated against the CMD’. Senior Inspector Suresh Marathe who is investigating the case told The Indian Express, ‘‘We will find him (Venkatramana) and produce him before court.’’ ‘‘A team could be sent to trace (him) if he does not surrender at the earliest,’’ Marathe added.

Media reports on Wednesday had quoted the Delhi Police as saying that they had not received any requst from their Mumbai counterparts for the arrest of Venkatramana.

	Who is Venkataramana?

			• C. Venkataramana is CMD of one of India’s most profitable companies and Orissa’s biggest metal firm, Nalco. He has been with Nalco for the last 16 years. A finance whiz kid, Venkataramana is also on the governing board of Xaviers Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.

According to a complaint filed by the victim yesterday, Venkataramana during his visit to Mumbai on February 8, asked her to accompany him to his Malabar suite at five-star hotel Leela in Sahar, senior inspector Suresh Marathe said.

Subsequently, the complaint said, Venkataramana asked his subordinate Singh to wait outside but asked the woman employee to follow him into the room. Venkataramana allegedly made sexual advances towards her inside the room, according to the complaint. According to the complaint, Singh offered wine while the CMD offered a paan to the employee. He also reported to make lewd comments like ‘‘I want to relax with you… I hope you understand.’’

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As per the complaint to the police, both Venkataramana and Singh promised to promote her as quid pro quo. Singh — who was apparently aware of the molestation — apologised to the woman while dropping her to her Thane house. However, Singh ‘‘expressed inability to protest against the boss,’’ Marathe said.