मनोज रस्तोगी पर छेड़छाड़ का आरोप

इलेक्ट्रानिक और प्रिंट मीडिया के वरिष्ठ पत्रकार हैं मनोज : ‘युवा’ मैग्जीन के मैनेजिंग एडिटर पद से कार्यमुक्त : पुलिस को दिए बयान में इसे गहरी साजिश बताया : न्याय पाने के लिए आखिर तक लड़ने का मनोज का ऐलान : लड़की फिर पहुंची थाने, धमकाने का आरोप जड़ा 

मुंबई से प्रकाशित अंग्रेजी पाक्षिक मैग्जीन ‘युवा’ के दिल्ली ब्यूरो चीफ, जिनका डिजिगनेशन मैनेजिंग एडिटर का है, के अधीन काम करने वाली एक एक्जीक्यूटिव / रिपोर्टर ने छेड़खानी का आरोप लगाते हुए बारहखंभा थाने में शिकायत दर्ज करा दी है। मैनेजिंग एडिटर का नाम है मनोज रस्तोगी। वरिष्ठ पत्रकार मनोज रस्तोगी कई मीडिया हाउसों में शीर्ष पदों पर काम कर चुके हैं। ई-सेंस इंटरटेनमेंट प्राइवेट लिमिटेड  कंपनी के बैनर तले संचालित पत्रिका ‘युवा’ के प्रबंधन ने फिलहाल मनोज रस्तोगी को कार्यमुक्त कर दिया है। मनोज का कहना है कि जांच होने तक पद से अलग रहने का प्रस्ताव देते हुए उन्होंने प्रबंधन को अपना इस्तीफा सौंप दिया है। महिला कर्मी ने जो शिकायत दर्ज कराई है उसमें छेड़छाड़ के घटनाक्रम का विस्तार से जिक्र किया गया है। इसमें बताया गया है कि रिपोर्टिंग / पीआर के उद्देश्य से मनोज रस्तोगी के साथ देश के कुछ शहरों में साथ जाने और रुकने के दौरान कैसे उसके साथ बार-बार छेड़खानी और अभद्रता की गई। महिला कर्मी ने एक और शिकायत दर्ज कराई है जिसमें मनोज रस्तोगी पर विभिन्न माध्यमों से धमकाने का आरोप लगाया गया है।

ज्ञात हो कि मनोज रस्तोगी सेव द गर्ल चाइल्ड नामक एक राष्ट्रीय अभियान भी संचालित करते हैं। इस अभियान से राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभा पाटिल समेत कई जानी-मानी हस्तियां जुड़ी हुई हैं। नई दिल्ली जिले के डिप्टी पुलिस कमिश्नर शंकर दास ने मैनेजिंग एडिटर पर सेक्स उत्पीड़न के आरोप की पुष्टि की है। उन्होंने एक अखबार के पत्रकार से बातचीत के दौरान बताया कि छेड़छाड़ का आरोप उसी कंपनी में काम करने वाली एक लड़की ने लगाया है जो एडिटर के साथ टूर पर शहर से बाहर गई हुई थी।

एक अन्य घटनाक्रम के तहत युवा के दिल्ली ब्यूरो में कार्यरत पत्रकार अरविन्द गोस्वामी ने अपने ही अखबार के मालिक और उनके दो सहयोगियों के खिलाफ बारहखंभा पुलिस स्टेशन में शिकायत दर्ज करा दी है। इस शिकायत में उन्होंने आरोप लगाया है कि मालिक की तरफ से मुंबई से जान से मारने की धमकी फोन पर लगातार मिल रही है। अरविन्द ने शिकायत में कहा है कि उन्हें नहीं पता कि उन्हें क्यों धमकाया जा रहा है। उनकी किसी से भी कोई लेना-देना नहीं है। बताया जा रहा है कि युवा के मालिक महाराष्ट्र के एक ठीकठाक राजनीतिक परिवार से ताल्लुक रखते हैं।

इस घटनाक्रम के बारे में दिल्ली से प्रकाशित मिड-डे अखबार में आज खबर भी छपी है जिसे आप पढ़ने के लिए क्लिक कर सकते हैं- Powerful boss gives life threats to scribe over phone

सूत्रों का कहना है कि छेड़छाड़ की आरोप लगाने वाली लड़की ने अरविन्द गोस्वामी का नाम गवाह के बतौर पुलिस को दिए अपने शिकायती पत्र में दर्ज किया हुआ है। आरोप लगाने वाली लड़की और अरविन्द गोस्वामी, दोनों की दोस्ती है। संभव है कि इस पूरे प्रकरण में कोई रणनीतिक दबाव बनाने या लाभ हासिल करने के उद्देश्य से यह मामला बनाया गया हो।

युवा मैग्जीन में कार्यरत महिला पत्रकार ने जो लिखित आरोप लगाए हैं, उसकी एक प्रति बी4एम के पास भी है। इस शिकायती पत्र को संपादित करके प्रकाशित किया जा रहा है। लड़की का नाम बदल दिया गया है। कई अन्य नामों व पहचानों को भी छिपाया गया है ताकि किसी की मानहानि से बचा जा सके…..

The Commissioner of Police

NCT of Delhi

New Delhi

Sir,

Sub : Lodging of FIR in the serious offence of sexual harassment.

This is to lodge a FIR in a case of serious offences category of sexual harassment against Mr. Manoj Rastogi, Managing Editor, Yuva magazine, (R/o Flat No………………………….) fortnightly of E-Sense Entertainment P Ltd. situated at 212-213, Second Floor, b-Block, Naurang House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Connaught place, New Delhi-10 001 and prompt action.

I have been working as a PR cum reporter for the Magazine Yuva fortnightly of E-Sense Entertainment P Ltd. situated at 212-213, Second Floor, b-Block, Naurang House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Connaught place, New Delhi-10 001 and my job profile requires travelling for reporting.

On 24th April 2009, I and Mr. Rastogi were scheduled to go to Kolkata for covering the press conference of Sh. Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary for our magazine and it was an extensive election tour of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh.

Accordingly on the evening of 24th April 2009 we headed for Kolkata from New Delhi by the late evening flight from Delhi and I reached the airport independently where Mr. Rastogi was waiting with the necessary air travel tickets.

We checked in Hotel …………. at Kolkata late night around 10 PM and after I reached my room, Mr. Rastogi called me to his room in the pretext of discussing script. When I reached his room, he opened his laptop for the ostensible reasons for scripting but to my shock and utter dismay what unfolded in the laptop was sequence of obscene pictures, sexually explicit. When I objected to this, Mr. Rastogi insisted that I should watch these obscene pictures and the MMS. When I turned back objecting that it was not script and that I did not want to see the obscene pictures, he forcefully put his hand over my shoulder and said that he would inspire me to become a good Script Writer.

I could manage to wriggle out of his hands and rushed to my room and locked from inside. However, Mr. Rastogi continued his advances and overtures till 2:00 am by frequently and constantly knocking at my room door and calling me at my mobile. When I did not pick up his calls after finding his number displayed on my mobile screen, he started ringing the intercom. I was traumatized and disturbed by these acts and was stunned and did not knew how to handle him.

On the morning of 25th April 2009, however, I controlled myself, meditated to gain concentration to work and started to attend to the work scheduled for the day which was coverage of the press conference of Mr. Rahul Gandhi, general secretary of the Congress party. But there too Mr. Rastogi continued his advances and made indecent suggestions and gestures. I avoided him because I was totally helpless in a new place on an official tour, a girl like me could not have confronted him nor taken any action at that point of time of utter helplessness that too in a new place on an official tour. I wanted to somehow finish the official tour and after coming back wanted to initiate action. His overtures and continued Sexual Harassment did not stop.

After we finished with the conference of Mr. Rahul Gandhi we went to meet Mr. Rajesh Mishra, President of the eastern chapter of Federation of Hotels and Restaurants of India (FHARI)), a friend of Mr.Rastogi and Mr. Mishras suggestion to have a Darshan of Kali Mata, Mr. Manoj Rastogi changed the tour programme and scheduled our visit to Lucknow for the Next Morning ie. 26th April 2009.

However, in the intervening night of 25-26 April 2009, Mr. Rastogi, in the pretext of setting right an audio problem once again harassed me although I sorted out the audio problem of Mr. Rahul Gandhis conference. Then he has already had one too many glasses of wine and even after I rectified the audio problem, he tried to keep me in his room and latched the door whenever I try to get out of his room to go to my room. He kept dragging me asking me to sit with him on his bed and when I managed to remove his clutches, although it was tough and there was almost a scuffle and my hands were paining, he hugged me forcibly. At this I started sobbing. At this he somehow released me so that I could rush out to get into my room. That night too he kept calling me on my cell phone …………. from his cell numbers ……….. and ………… Seeing his number displayed on my instrument, I deliberately did not pick up the phone. Mr. Rastogi continued to call me in the intercom thereafter disturbing me and harassing me, mentally traumatized me seeking sexual favours. It continued till 2 AM.

In the morning as I was getting ready there was a knock at the door. When I opened the door Mr. Manoj Rastogi barged inside and tried to forcefully hug me. However, I could manage to go out of the room and even while he followed me, I could shut the door, as he came out and reached the car waiting to take me to the Kali temple in Kolkata. I found solace in the environs of the temple and returned to the hotel after two hours. Even during that period of two hours, he called me in the pretext of instructing me to reach the airport on time. And he was continuing to pester me with his indecent proposals. After reaching the hotel, he again dragged me and smeared the tilak mark on my forehead. I could escape from the melee and went to my room to pack up. On the way to airport, he kept repeating that he liked me and would have married if he had seen me before his marriage to ……………… He said his ………….was not aggressive in bed and has failed to sexually satisfy him. He said he did not love her anymore. On the airport, I could avoid him by wandering in the corridors and rang up my other friends to avoid his nuisances, sexual harassment and continued trauma.

However, inside the flight, being seated next to me, he again repeated the same things about his marriage and wife till the flight landed in Lucknow. I kept looking outside the window during all this.

Lucknow : After reaching Lucknow in the forenoon of 26th April 2009, my editorial senior team comprising Mr. Narendra Kaushik, Mr. Arun Jetlie were already there. He pretended to look for accommodation in a few hotels and then said that he being the CEO will stay in a good hotel and will also force me to stay in the same hotel. He said he will not sanction better accommodation for any of the seniors in the company but would do it for me because he liked me. I said I have no problems in staying in an ordinary hotel. I told him to book me in the ………, where my other two senior editorial members were already staying. At this Mr. Rastogi said that he would not allow me to stay alone in ……… where the environment is so filthy and you are not safe there. Then He told me that I should stay in Gemini Hotel along with him in the same room. It was already 11:00 clock in the night and he had already booked his room there. When I objected that I will not share room with him he came up with this explanation that the rooms are very expensive, and he could not afford to book two rooms and he put his hand on my head and swore in the name of his daughter that he would not disturb me and that I would be safe in the room.

He said, You will be safe and I will not disturb you. You will be having separate bed to sleep and right now there is no room available as it was already 12:00 clock. He justified it further telling that we had to frame questions to be asked to Ms. Priyanka Gandhi as we were scheduled to go to RaiBareli the next day. I was helpless at that mid-night. After returning from the assignment, in evening, he called for wine in the room. When I objected he said he would have only a peg. He drank wine. And during the dinner, he again resorted to his sexual advances and asked me what was my problem in having sex with him? And added that it was common and normal for any girl in the media, print or television, to have extra marital sex. I lost my temper and skipped dinner. I ended the conversation and retired to my bed. After every hour or so he would sit on my bed and pat my head. I finally had to tell him that if he did not stop it I would go down to the lobby and shout. I was feeling suffocated and could not catch a wink. At 6 AM in morning he forcibly put me on the bed and tried to force himself on me. He said, The more you resist, the more tempted I feel. I will not leave you. You better surrender yourself. I pushed him with all my strength and threatened to complain to the hotel staff. I had called up Mr. Arvind Goswami and made him listen to whatever arguments transpired between him and me. I have this evidence with me. He got frustrated and told me we will not be able to work together. On way to Rae Bareli too, he kept telling me adult jokes and told me about his sexual fantasies. He offered to teach me how to indulge in sex. I shouted on him and the driver who was listening to all his sex talk also looked back. During lunch he continued with the bawdy jokes and I was forced to throw my lunch plate and return to the taxi.

After finishing the assignment, when we returned to Lucknow I called my distant relative to get away from Mr. Rastogis devious plans. My relative came to pick me up. He told me to leave for Delhi along with our other two colleagues who were heading back at night. He told me that I must come back to his hotel room to catch the night flight. He promised to drop me to the hotel of Mr. Narendra Kaushik & Arun Jetlie. When I reached his hotel, he said that the taxi could not be arranged. I called up Mr. Narendra. But he forced me to disconnect the phone saying Why are you disturbing them? Females are not allowed in their room. He told me to sleep in his room and promised to drop me at the airport in morning. He instructed me not to tell this thing to Mr. Narendra and Mr. Jetlie as this could send a wrong message. In the afternoon he went for shopping and bought certain clothes for me as well. Ive already paid him for that. In the flight, he told me that if I did not personally connect with him, I could not continue in the job.

On May 2, he took me to Mumbai saying that we had an important meeting there. He promised to get me the appointment letter in Mumbai. At night after finishing off the meetings, he once again told me that either I should satisfy him or leave. He said that I could achieve much success if I accepted his demands. I told him to book me tickets for returning to Delhi. He got furious. I retired to my room. He called up at my intercom till 3 in morning. I told him to let me sleep and put my receiver off the hook. In the morning, he knocked at my door, barged into the room and shouted on me. You are not yet ready. Weve to leave for Chandigarh. I knew he had no meetings fixed by that point of time. I said I wanted to go back to Delhi. We had arguments and he slapped me twice.

We flew to Chandigarh. At 3 AM at night, he knocked at my door saying that he wanted to talk to me. He forcibly tried to kiss me. I pushed him out of the room. Next morning, Mr. Narendra Kaushik joined us in Chandigarh. We immediately left for Bhatinda. We did certain assignments till 1.30 AM at night. At 2 AM, he knocked at my door. When I opened, he forced himself on me and forcibly kissed me. He told me we are leaving for Hamirpur. I refused to accompany him. I told him I would rather stay back and do assignments with Mr. Kaushik. He called me from the reception and told me not to create a scene. He dared me to complain to Mr. ……….., owner of the company. He added that I am not scared of him (Mr. ………). I will kick you out.

On way to Hamirpur, he continued with his gibberish talk. He told me it hardly mattered who slept with whom. He said he would make me a successful anchor in television. I got angry and threw the tea out of the window. The driver was a witness to it. He threatened to pour acid on my face. This will disfigure your face, he said. I wanted to leave for Delhi and then there but he did not let me go. You think I am a fool. Will I let you go back so easily, he said. We did the assignments. Next day he told the driver to take us to Dharamshala. He told the driver that the weather is very nice and offered to book him a room in the same hotel. Fortunately for me, the driver could see through his game. In the hotel, Mr. Rastogi told the receptionist to book one room for us. I told him there and then how he could do that. He asked me whether we had not developed that kind of intimacy. In morning, he wanted to travel back to Chandigarh and stay there for a night. When I refused, he booked a flight for Delhi and told me to return to Delhi on my own. At airport, he said I was not compatible with him. He said he will change my designation and cut my salary. He threatened me not to disclose these things to any of my seniors. When I was returning in taxi to Chandigarh, he called me up. When I said I was not interested in talking to him, he called me a whore, a bitch. He said Tumhari aukat kya hai? I somehow managed to return to Chandigarh. From Chandigarh, I took a Volvo at night and reached back Delhi at 2.30 AM on May 8.

In Delhi, he cut down my salary and shifted me out of reporting. He said he would not allow me to work with seniors. He constantly shouted at me.

On the day of counting i.e. May 16, when I was covering CPI (M), he came there. He told me to stop reporting and took me to his home on the pretext of monitoring election results on television saying that there was no TV in office. When we reached his flat, I discovered that his wife and children had already left for Aurangabad. He did not allow me to watch TV. Instead he told me he had a crush on me and was lustful about me and would not let me go. Tere ko lagta hai, main tere ko jaane doonga? he asked me. He said if I wanted to continue in the job, I will have to surrender myself to him. He said he wanted to have sex with me at least once. When I shouted for help, he got scared and let me go. I stormed out of his house and called Arvind in office. Arvind told me, I must get out of his house somehow.

Next day in office, he told me that I have interviewed some girls who will work for less salary and compromise too. They smoke and drink and will have no problem in doing sex with me, he said. He is so cheap that he talks rubbish about others wives. For instance he told me about…………………., badi mast wife hai. Meri wife honi chahiye thi.

He bitches about everybody in office including Ms. ……… who is heading ………… here. Every other day he threatens to sack people saying he can do anything to anybody because he is the CEO of the company. He has been daring me to approach Mr. Nitesh Rane, police, womens commission saying they cant do anything.

I have given you all the details of whatever Mr. Rastogi did to me during last one month. I have written truth and nothing else. I have no problems with the organization and enjoyed working with the staff of E-sense in Delhi. I do hope you will take harshest of action against Mr. Rastogi.

My parents are in no mood to spare him. I am afraid if he is not punished adequately, I may be constrained to explore other options. Moreover, it is just a matter of time before Mr. Rastogi destroys the reputation of the company in case he is allowed to continue.

I hereby request you to take prompt action as per procedure established by law and bring the guilty to Justice.

Yours

Janaki Prasad         

(name Changed)  

Dear Sir/Madam,

I, Janaki Prasad (name Changed) an employee of e-sense entertainment Private Limited, 212-213, Second floor, B Block, Naurang House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg (Connaught Place) New Delhi, wish to bring to your notice that I have faced the worst kind of sexual harassment at my workplace from Managing Editor Mr. Manoj Rastogi for a month.

Thanking you,

Janaki Prasad

2nd draft

Dear Sir/Madam, 

In the context of  our telephonic conversation on dated 29th may’09 regarding my complaint of sexual harrasement against Mr.Manoj Rastogi (R/o flat No……………………. his Mob No……………..- ……………..) dated 27th may’09 I would like to state that i want to continue with my complain as the accused is no moare guilty of his act and still trying to threat me through other sources.

And i wouid like to request that the name of my organisation should not be highlighted as the organisation has taken his action by terminating him from the services of company after going through the whole matter. The organisation and senior collegues also found him accused for the whole matter and did not want him to continue in the company for his unforgiveable act. They supported me for raising my voice against him.

I have londge a complain against Mr. Manoj Rastogi in CP Police Station but they couldnt come on any respective solution as they wanted me to mention any incident happened in Delhi itself.But i want to make you aware of all the details carefully as i couldnt mention in my previous compalain due to panic and traumatised.

I hope you would take the matter seriously and take the appropriate and strict action against him.

Thanking you,

Janaki Prasad

इस प्रकरण पर मनोज रस्तोगी का पक्ष, जो उन्होंने बी4एम को बातचीत के दौरान बताया…

पहली बात तो ये है कि इस देश में कोई किसी पर कुछ भी आरोप लगा सकता है और पुलिस में शिकायत दर्ज करा सकता है। आपने मुझे फोन किया है पवित्र उद्देश्य से, मेरा पक्ष जानने के लिए और संयोग है कि मेरी आपसे बात हो रही है वरना अगर बात न होती तो आप पत्रकारीय स्वतंत्रता का फायदा उठाकर लिख सकते हैं कि उनसे बार-बार संपर्क करने का प्रयास किया गया लेकिन उनसे बात नहीं हो सकी। मैं कह रहा था कि अगर मुझे आपको परेशान करना होगा तो मैं आपकी ओर से आए इस फोन के आधार पर पुलिस में शिकायत दर्ज करा सकता हूं कि आपने खबर न छापने के लिए मुझसे पैसे मांगे और पैसै न देने पर ऐसी-तैसी करने की धमकी दी। मैं यह शिकायत आपके विरोधी वेब संचालकों को मुहैया करा दूं तो वे भी छाप देंगे यह कहते हुए कि मेरे पास तो लिखित शिकायत है। तब आप क्या कर लेंगे? हो गया न आपकी इज्जत का मिनटों में कबाड़ा! भाई, मेरा मीडिया का 22 साल का करियर है और कई प्रतिष्ठित संस्थानों का हिस्सा रहा हूं। एक लड़की जिसका कोई करियर नहीं है, वह एक महीने बाद एक दिन अचानक आरोप लगाने लगे तो समझना चाहिए कि जरूर दाल में कुछ काला है। हुआ यह कि तीन लोगों को प्रबंधन ने बाहर करने की तैयारी की। बाहर करने के पीछे वजह कुछ लाख रुपयों के गबन का था। गबन के इस मामले में शक के दायरे में जो तीन लोग हैं उसमें अरविन्द गोस्वामी के अलावा आरोप लगाने वाली लड़की भी है। जब इन्हें सूचित किया गया कि आपकी सेवा समाप्त की जा रही है तो इन लोगों ने शिकायती पत्र तैयार कर सीधे थाने पहुंच गए। 

वैसे भी ये तीनों लोग फ्रीलांसर हैं, जिन्हें एसाइनमेंट पर लिया गया। आरोप लगाने वाली लड़की एक अप्रैल से कंपनी में एसाइनमेंट बेस पर है। उसने शिकायती पत्र में पूरे एक महीने तक लगातार छेड़छाड़ और उत्पीड़न होने की बात कही है। इस दौरान वह सात दिन के लिए अपने घर भी रह आई। अपने परिजनों से बात भी करती रही। किसी से तब उसने उत्पीड़न होने की बात नहीं कही। अब जबकि उसे कंपनी से हटाया जा रहा था तो उसे ब्रह्म ज्ञान आ गया। यही नहीं, लड़की ने जिस एक मात्र गवाह को दो बार फोन करने की बात कही है, अरविन्द गोस्वामी को, वह भी कुछ दिन पहले मैग्जीन के मैनेजमेंट पर जान से मारने की धमकी का आरोप बारहखंभा थाने में लिखा आया और जब मैनेजमेंट ने उसके बकाया वगैरह का भुगतान कर दिया तो उसने माफी मांगते हुए रिपोर्ट वापस ले लिया। मतलब, पहले एडिटर पागल हो गया फिर मैनेजमेंट पागल हो गया और एक ने एडिटर के खिलाफ शिकायत दर्ज करा दी और दूसरे ने मैनेजमेंट के खिलाफ। मैं किसी के चरित्र पर उंगली नहीं उठाऊंगा लेकिन मेरे बारे में और आरोप लगाने वालों के बारे में मीडिया के लोगों से बात कर लीजिए, दूध का दूध और पानी का पानी सामने आ जाएगा। 

जिन अरविन्द गोस्वामी को उन्होंने दो बार फोन करने की बात कही है वह न तो उनका पति है, न भाई, न परिजन और न रिश्तेदार। उसे तो वह फोन करती रहीं पर घरवालों को फोन नहीं किया। मां-पिता को जानकारी नहीं दी। लड़की के शिकायती पत्र से तो लगता है कि जैसे पूरे महीने तक मेरे पास सिर्फ काम के नाम पर छेडखानी करना ही बचा था। उसने मेरी पत्नी और साथ काम करने वालों की पत्नी के बारे में भी उल्टा सीधा लिखा है। जांच होने दीजिए, सब पता चल जाएगा। मैनेजमेंट से मैंने खुद बात कर जांच होने तक खुद को मैग्जीन से अलग कर लिया है ताकि पद का दुरुपयोग कर जांच प्रभावित करने जैसे आरोप न लगाए जा सकें। पुलिस और न्याय प्रणाली में गलत आरोप लगाने वालों पर भी कार्रवाई किए जाने की व्यवस्था है। अगर मैं दोषी हूं तो मुझे सजा मिले वरना मेरी इज्जत से खेलने वाले लोगों को दंडित किया जाना चाहिए। मैंने पुलिस को अपना बयान दे दिया है। घटना बहुत सीधी सी है। परफारमेंस खराब होने व गबन के एक मामले में शक के दायरे में आने के चलते प्रबंधन ने इन्हें हटाने का निर्णय लिया तो इन लोगों ने मिलकर यह साजिश रच दी।

साजिश उनकी सफल भी होती दिख रही है क्योंकि फैसला आने तक इन लोगों को नौकरी से हटाया नहीं जा सकता और आरोपी होने के नाते जांच प्रभावित न हो, इसलिए मुझे हटना पड़ा है। कल को यह फैसला आ भी जाए कि मैं सही था पर जो मेरी इज्जत गई है, वो कैसे वापस आएगी? मैंने दिल्ली के रेलवे स्टेशन पर भूखे पेट रात गुजारी है। संघर्ष करके आगे बढ़ा हूं। मीडिया और सार्वजनिक जीवन के जुड़े सैकड़ों ऐसे मशहूर नाम हैं जो मेरे और मेरे चरित्र के बारे में बता सकते हैं। मेरी पत्नी भी मीडिया से जुड़ी हुई रही हैं। सामान्य दिमाग की बात है कि महीने भर तक भारत भ्रमण के दौरान आपके साथ हर क्षण कुछ न कुछ होता रहा और आप चुप रहीं। ऐसा क्यों? आपने अपने जिस मित्र को दो बार फोन किया, वे भी चुप रहे! और जब आपको कंपनी से हटाया जाने लगा तो आप और आपके मित्र मिलकर साजिश रचने बैठ गए। कानून सभी के लिए बराबर है।

वो बताएंगे न कि मेरे साथ कमरा कब शेयर किया? क्या प्रमाण है इसका? कहने से ही सब कुछ नहीं हो जाता। एक शिकायत में आपने कहा कि मैंने चाय फेंकने की धमकी दी, दूसरे शिकायती पत्र में कह रही हैं कि एसिड फेंकने की धमकी दी। क्या मजाक है? अब तो जो होना था, सो हो गया। तफ्तीश चल रही है। कोर्ट से फैसला भी आएगा। एक हजार चीजें हैं, जिसे मैं कहना चाहता हूं लेकिन आपसे क्यों कहूं? मैं पुलिस से कहूंगा, कोर्ट को बताऊंगा। मैंने पुलिस को बता दिया है। हम लोग इस मामले में चुप नहीं बैठेंगे। इस साजिश के कारण कंपनी की ब्रांड इमेज और मेरी निजी इज्जत का जो नुकसान हो रहा है, उसका हिसाब हम लोग भी समय आने पर मांगेंगे। न्याय मांगने का हक हम लोगों को भी है। कानून सभी के लिए बराबर होता है। जहां तक मेरी खुद की बात है तो मैं कमलेश्वर जी का शिष्य रहा हूं, प्रगतिशील लेखक संघ से निकला हूं। हम लोगों की जो ट्रेनिंग रही है वही हम लोग जीते रहे हैं। अपने निजी नुकसान-फायदे से परे मनुष्यता और समाज के लिए क्या-क्या किया जा सकता है, हम लोग इस पर सोचते ही नहीं बल्कि जीते भी हैं।

मीडिया के लोगों को अभी कई सवालों का हल तलाशना बाकी है। कल को कोई रिपोर्टर किसी एमएमएस स्कैंडल के फुटेज लेकर आए और एडिटिंग के दौरान कोई महिला एडिटर या तकनीशीयन या रिपोर्टर इसे देखे और फिर आरोप लगा दे कि ये लोग मुझे अश्लील चीजें दिखा रहे थे, तो आप क्या करेंगे? महिला का शिकायत करना संवेदनशील और गंभीर मामला होता है, होना भी चाहिए, लेकिन इसका दुरुपयोग होने लगे तो फिर संवेदनशीलता और गंभीरता का कबाड़ा हो जाता है।