Chidanand Rajghatta Media
June 14, 2010
Washington: An Indian publishing icon who is known for his integrity and decency is accused of sexually harassing a female colleague. The co-worker, whose trauma of going through litigation after making the accusation seems unmistakable, seeks modest damages for her suffering. Both are fired by their employer. And both decline to talk to the media.
That's where the case of Lisa Rundle vs David Davidar rests in an episode that has shocked the publishing world, and probably provided the raw material for another book on the subject. But for the central characters in the drama, the pain and anguish is acute.
It didn't seem to be heading into such a major scandal last week when David Davidar, 52, who headed Penguin India till 2003 when he moved to become President of Penguin Canada, announced that he was leaving the company to pursue his writing career and other projects in India.
After all, it's hardly surprising that a successful author (The House of Blue Mangoes and The Solitude of Emperors) should seek to entertain the m u s e again.
In a brief statement, Davidar said that at Penguin's request, he agreed to publicly state that his departure was voluntary, but the "the truth is that a former colleague accused me of sexual harassment and Penguin terminated my employment."
"I had a friendship with my colleague which lasted for three years. I am utterly shocked by the allegations. I am dismayed that Penguin Canada chose to respond to them by directing me to leave Penguin. I intend to defend the allegations vigorously in the courts, and I am certain that the truth will prevail," Davidar said of the charges and the subsequent development.
According to reports in the Canadian media, where the story is front-page news, Lisa Rundle's accusations are accompanied by quotations from several e-mail messages Davidar allegedly sent her.
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