On Tuesday, four women publicly accused renowned artist Jatin Das of sexual harassment. Mumbai based entrepreneur Nisha Bora was the first to publicly accuse Das. She wrote that Das molested her in 2004.
#MeToo One of India’s most feted artists alive. Padma Bhushan recipient. My molestor. Long post alert. @IndiaMeToo and so MANY other women, starting with @Rxyxsx Thank you for so much. pic.twitter.com/a6VFC6iHys
— Nisha Bora (@NishaBora) October 16, 2018
She described that Das had asked her to assist with his work, to which she had agreed. The first day, he called her to his house in Asiad Village. On the second day, he asked her to come to his studio in Khirki where he “attempted to grab” her and “managed a clumsy kiss” on her lips. “What I recall clearly was his disbelief that I was pushing back. I picked up my bag, stepped out into the sun, and ran home. Never to speak about it. Until now,” Bora wrote.
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The second woman chose to be anonymous and posted her experience on Instagram. She wrote that Das had asked her to be his assistant. She accepted the offer and landed in Delhi in 2013, reported Scroll.
“I was asked the same night to change to my night clothes and come to his bedroom. I was in shock and locked myself in my room. I left the very next morning. I have not heard anything from him after,” she wrote in her Instagram post.
Writer Garusha Katoch also took to Twitter to narrate her experience with Das. Katoch alleged that in 2013, when Katoch was interning under Das, he made inappropriate advances towards her. She was 20 years old at the time.
Jatin Das: Renowned painter, Padma Bhushan recipient and someone who tried to take advantage of me when I was 20. 5 years too late but it’s about time I speak up. @NishaBora thank you for speaking up. #MeToo pic.twitter.com/PgheXFOy5R
— Garusha Katoch (@GarushaK) October 16, 2018
Das however, denied the allegations. He told Scroll, “I do not know who they are. It’s so painful and vulgar. Anyone can say anything about anybody and it gets published…There might be truth to both sides but it’s the innocent which loses dignity. One has worked and slogged all their life with truth.”
Later in the day, a fourth woman accused Das. Malavika Kundu shared her experience with Sandhya Menon, who posted the story on her Twitter handle. Kundu narrated that sometime in 1999 or 2000, on her first day as Das’s assistant, he addressed her as ‘baby’. On the second day, he continued with the inappropriate address even though Kundu had asked him not to.
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She alleges that Das also made her feel uncomfortable physically. He would allegedly run his hands down her back and stand extremely close to her when it wasn’t necessary.
Kundu decided to quit on the third day when Das told her that she should think of herself as a ‘matki’ (pot) and let him “plant his seed in it.”
More on Jatin Das #MeTooIndia #MeToo pic.twitter.com/cq0FoKmMes
— Sandhya Menon (@TheRestlessQuil) October 18, 2018