#MeToo: Ex-employee calls out seniors in TV channel

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The

#MeToo

movement has rocked the television industry in the state with a former employee of

Asianet

channel raising sexual harassment allegations against three employees of the channel.


Nisha Babu, who worked with the channel from 1997 to 2014, said she had to quit the organization following persistent harassment. Nisha, through a Facebook post on Wednesday, accused Asianet vice-president (programmes) M R Rajan, assistant vice-president (marketing) V Dileep and technical manager Padmakumar of workplace sexual harassment.

Nisha told TOI that harassment began after the death of her husband Suresh Pattali, who was a senior programme producer at the channel. When she objected to the sexual advances of Rajan, who was the then chief producer, he started interfering in her work.

“I was the only female production assistant at that time. He started insulting me in front of channel guests and gave me trivial assignments. Even though I gave formal complaints of workplace harassment twice to the channel management, I was not even called for an inquiry. This continued even after Star group took over the channel,” she alleged.

Nisha also narrated the serious sexual harassment she faced at the hands of Dileep and Padmakumar. She said that Dileep had unzipped in front of her and showed her porn from his office computer. “Padmakumar made attempts to grope me and made sexually explicit remarks against me,” said Nisha.

“Two women staff who made harassment complaint against Dileep had to quit. I could not afford to lose my job that time. Finally, I quit after 17 years realizing that my career was at stakes,” she said.

Nisha, who later got remarried, said that she decided to open up due to the support of her family. “If I had girl children or an unsupportive partner, I might not have done this. Whatever be the outcome, I want to make workplace safe for the future generation,” she said.

When contacted, Asianet PRO B S Praveen Kumar refused to comment on the issue. When asked whether the channel would initiate a probe, he said that he could not comment.