Cadila Pharma CMD booked for rape following Gujarat HC's direction

Ahmedabad: The Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Rajiv Modi, has been booked under various charges, including rape, following a direction from the Gujarat High Court.

The action came in response to a complaint filed by a Bulgarian woman employed as a flight attendant with the company.

The complainant, a Bulgarian national, alleged that she was subjected to sexual harassment and other criminal offences by Modi. She claims that her initial complaints to the police and a subsequent private complaint to a magistrate court were not acted upon, leading her appeal to the high court.

According to her account, she arrived in India in November 2022 for a flight attendant position with Cadila Pharmaceuticals. However, her job role was later changed to a butler-personal attendant for Modi. She alleges that following her refusal to comply with illicit demands, she was terminated in April 2023.

The woman also reported the issue to the Bulgarian embassy and Foreign Regional Registration Offices. She claimed she was pressured to withdraw her complaint and coerced into filing an affidavit at a women’s police station, stating the dispute was settled with her employer. Following this, she received a demand draft of Rs 24 lakh from the company.

The Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical giant is now at the centre of a criminal investigation as per the orders of the Gujarat High Court. Assistant Commissioner of Police, HM Kansagra confirmed that the case was registered at the Sola police station in the city. The complaint includes charges under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault), and 504 (intentional insult).

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Lavina Sinha stated that following the court's direction, an FIR (first information report) has been registered. Their role is to investigate and submit a report to the court.

The high court's order on December 22 mandated an inquiry led by a competent police officer and supervised by a senior IPS officer nominated by the Deputy Inspector General. The court has set a two-month deadline for the completion of the investigation.