‘Anand Jon is a victim of racism, jealousy’

‘Anand Jon is a victim of racism, jealousy’

Arun Ram


CHENNAI: Anand Jon (32), the India-born fashion designer in the US, has been in a jail in Los Angeles for more than six months, facing charges of rape and molestation from several girls he worked with. Even as a US court has set a bail amount of $2.1 million, Jon’s mother Shashi Abraham, in a telephonic interview from LA, tells DNA that her son is a victim of racism and professional jealousy and that India government should step in. Excerpts:

How did Jon land in this soup?
There is a conspiracy by his business partners and wannabe models who are not cut out for the job. Anand Jon found success in the fashion industry where even Americans find it difficult to succeed. His brand name was evaluated by a Wall Street investment firm, which invested seed capital into the company and was in the process of putting together the private placement memorandum. They timed it well.

How can it be a conspiracy when more than 25 girls have charged him with rape and molestation?
Their case is based on volume. Any of these, if taken individually, would not have held merit. Some of the counts are as frivolous as “his left hand brushed against my right breast while helping me try on a dress.” He is in an industry were there is a lot of nudity and constant interaction with women. It is not rare that designers touch models when they dress them, adjusting clothes, fixing minor corrections.

There are also charges that Jon pushed alcohol on the girls…
That doesn’t hold water since he never drinks, smokes or do drugs. This is a known fact in the industry. Many of these girls were obsessed with Jon. Many of the complaints are from the same girls from different jurisdictions. Why would anyone follow their alleged assaulter to other cities and other states sometimes for many months? This is a (case of a) brown boy against more than two dozen white girls…

You mean he is a victim of racism, too?
Of course, there were many racial slurs.

What is Jon’s defence?
Where is the chance to defend? In each place they have pulled grand jury. In a grand jury, there is no defence position; only the prosecution side is shown. Criminal lawyers say ‘a grand jury can indict even a ham sandwich.’

There were reports that you were using your proximity to Indian minister for NRI affairs Vayalar Ravi to bail out Jon…
Ravi is an old friend, but I approached him as a minister, not as a friend. I had great difficulty explaining things to him. He has just asked the Indian embassy to look into the case and has not gone out of way to do anything.

What do you expect from the Indian authorities?
When he was arrested, the US government did not even inform the Indian embassy. Jon has to get bail to come out and defend himself. He is an Indian citizen. Our government should to appeal for his release.

(from DNA)