Kota poet accused of seeking sexual favours

KOTA: A poetess of Bhopal district in Madhya Pradesh in her Facebook post has accused a 59-yearold poet of Kota of seeking sexual favours in lieu of ensuring her participation in a conference of poets, to be held in Sawai Madhopur district on October 9.

“A frustrated poet of my father’s age called me regarding a poetic conference in Sawai Madhopur district on October 9, for which he wanted ‘friendly meet’ with me,” alleged 42-year-old Lata Sawaranjali in her Facebook post dated October 4. She, however, did not take the poet’s name in the post.

“When I sought to clarity, I got to know that he is seeking samagam (sexual favour) for forwarding me the envelope of invitation for the poetic conference,” she alleged. The poetess said she “strongly” replied to the poet over phone and said that she was not the kind of poetess who “compromised’ to such demands.

When media persons contacted the poetess, she revealed the poet’s name as Prem Shastri of Kota. When HT tried to call her, she did not attend the call.

The poet, Prem Shastri, however, refuted the Sawaranjali’s allegations. “I have been talking to her, but there was no conversation about which she is alleging. I do not know why she is raising such allegations against me, but certainly there are some persons in Kota who are behind it,” said Prem Shastri, who is posted in the education department. “I was not the organizer of the poet conference at Sawai Madhopur and just hosted it,” he said.