According to the woman's statement to the police, she had joined the company in 2010 at an executive post. Kularia would often call her into his cabin, ask her to stand/sit very close to him, and touch her while complimenting her looks.

A 37-year-old woman last Sunday filed a sexual harassment complaint with the Charkop police station against the managing director of engineering firm ANJ Turkey Project Pvt Ltd, Ashok Kularia. However, the Sessions Court granted him anticipatory bail the very next day, shocking the complainant and her husband.

According to the woman's statement to the police, she had joined the company in 2010 at an executive post. Kularia would often call her into his cabin, ask her to stand/sit very close to him, and touch her while complimenting her looks.

Kularia would also travel for work often and ask the woman to accompany him but she would refuse. After many such rejections, Kularia finally got angry at her when she once again refused to join him for a conference in Lonavla. 'What kind of an assistant does not obey her boss' he had said.

The woman further stated that one week after this incident, Kularia called her to his cabin and asked her if she wanted a promotion while trying to molest her. He did this on multiple occasions thereafter, she said.

When the woman was finally fired from the job last month, she revealed the truth to her husband and the couple approached the police. But the bail has disappointed the two. "This is very shocking. The police should have ensured he doesn't get bail. This is the reason women do not speak up against abuse. The police do not support them," said the woman's husband.

Kularia, however, did not respond to calls and messages. His advocate Arun Jadhav's office said that the woman was "mentally torturing Kularia with the intention of extortion and defamation." He added that the woman was pulled up for being irregular at work, "which is why she decided to take revenge like this." A case against Kularia has been registered under section 354 and 354 (d) and an investigation is underway, a police officer from Charkop police station said.

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