Virat Kohli’s strong response to Zaira Wasim's harassment
December 13, 2017
Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is a decent person both on and off the field. The newly-wed star, in a video message, strongly condemned the alleged harassment of Bollywood actress Zaira Wasim during a flight.
The incident was video recorded by a helpless-looking Zaira, who narrated her ordeal through tears.
Kohli while terming the incident disturbing said that people who let such issues slide and don’t do anything are cowards.
“They aren’t men,” said the cricketer, asking bystanders in general what if such an incident happened to any of their family members.
It is horrible when people think that girls wearing short dresses are giving an opportunity for something untoward, he added.
People in power supporting such things are also horrible, he lashed out.
“I am ashamed to be a part of such a society,” the cricketer continued.
Kohli urged the public to be respectful towards others and treat women with compassion.
“Put yourself in the same situation and think how would you feel,” he said in the end.
Dangal actress Zaira Wasim — who recently starred in Secret Superstar — alleged last week that she was harassed by a male passenger sitting behind her on a plane.
The young actor narrated her ordeal via live video on Instagram, saying she was on the Air Vistara flight from Delhi to Mumbai Saturday night when the man extended and rested his foot on her armrest.
"It was all chill till I felt somebody brushing against my back while I was half asleep. I ignored it the first time. Blamed the turbulence for it. Until it woke me up to this pleasant sight of his beautiful foot rubbing my back and neck.”
"It continued for another 5-10 minutes and then I was sure of it. He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck," she said in her video post.
According to Indian media, authorities said the harasser — who has been identified as 39-year-old businessman Vikash Sachdev — was arrested from his Mumbai residence.
In its first statement on Twitter, the airline Vistara stated that it would look into the incident, adding that it had "zero tolerance for such behaviour".
