In keeping with the basic tenets of journalism and fairness, Manisha Pande made every effort to speak to Anita Sharma via phone calls and text messages to get a response from her regarding this report.

It was communicated to Ms Sharma via text messages that her response to the serious allegations made by her former colleague is important for a balanced story. She only sent us the statement released by India TV instead of responding to specific questions.

Below is a letter sent by India TV to Newslaundry in response to the report:

We are writing to you to express our disappointment and hurt on the article published by you on your website Tanu Sharma vs India TV. It is sad that you have allowed someone to use your website to make a case of an employee’s under performance into a case of sexual harassment. Tanu Sharma has said total lies about sexual harassment which you have carried without taking our version. We would like to put the record straight for you.

Tanu Sharma never reported any harassment nor did she try to seek an appointment with the MD, Ms Dhawan as stated by her. If she did, then she must explain what means of communication did she use, e-mail, sms, phone call?  Who did she contact in MD’s office for appointment and when? Mr Rajat Sharma and Ms Dhawan are available in the newsroom every day during primetime, why did she not walk upto them? We out rightly deny that there has been any sexual harassment to any woman employee in our organization, ever. Most of our women anchors have been with us right from the beginning and will vouch for the safe environment that they work in. Not only the anchors, but all women employees of India TV can tell you that it is one of the safest news channels to work in, as it is tightly run by the team of husband and wife. Mr Rajat Sharma’s wife, Ritu Dhawan is the CEO and Managing Director and is very careful about women safety in the organization. We were therefore amongst the first few channels to have instituted a committee for safety of women employees as per Supreme Court Guidelines. Tanu Sharma had the option to approach this committee but at no stage did she approach them. We strongly deny any case of sexual harassment ever in India TV.

Tanu Sharma has said in your story that she was harassed and wanted to resign but could not do so as she did not have the money to pay on resigning as per her contract. If this was the case, then when her resignation was accepted, then she should have been happy to be let off, why did she make a hue and cry that her sms has been treated as her resignation and why did she try to commit suicide in protest? If she was harassed in India TV, then why is she demanding to be reinstated? Why is she threatening to level all kinds of charges on her seniors if she is not reinstated or compensated? She should be happy to be out of the organization that was allegedly harassing her and giving her depression, but she could not leave on her own due to contractual binding.

If such people are allowed to use sexual harassment laws to extort then it will harm the cause of women who are actually suffering. We hope that you will withdraw this story which is based on utter lies and half truths, and publish a correction.

Puneet Tandon
General Manager-Administration and HR
India TV

Some facts that we have already sent you during the day are reiterated below:

Tanu Sharma had joined in February. She was still on probation as her three month probation period had been extended since in her first three months she had made two serious mistakes on air. First time, she was laughing on air during live news while presenting serious news. She had been warned. Second mistake she made was that while she was on studio duty she left the studio and newsroom, putting her phone on silent was sitting in the cafetaria. Due to non availability of anchor, the channel had to give a breaking news without an anchor on just graphics. She was given a second warning by HR. Complaints regarding her behavior were reported regularly. The last incident was a minor reprove by her senior in the girls make up room in the presence of two other female anchors, after which she sent a message that she is resigning. It was confirmed with her by her immediate senior and then forwarded to HR. HR sent her a mail and informed her that her resignation had been accepted and she should come and meet them for the relieving formalities. She went and met them, handed over her I-card, collected her belongings from the make up room and left saying good bye to her colleagues. And the matter was amicably closed. During her service she never made any complaint of harassment or even shared it with any colleague. India TV was amongst the first few channels to have instituted a complaint redressal committee for women employees which is headed by a Supreme Court lawyer, if she actually had any issues she could have approached the committee. The two people she is blaming are very senior and highly respected professionals in the industry. The lady she is blaming has trained hundreds of young producers and anchors and is respected and appreciated very much. She is herself a mother of two girls, these false allegations have caused a lot of harassment to her and her family.