Foreign journalists’ club in Delhi gets rid of the lady “planted” by lawyer Umesh Sharma

“President Venkat takes charge of the things like never before”

Delhi Crown Bureau

New Delhi: A year ago, on the advice of lawyer Umesh Sharma, former president of the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) of South Asia Munish Gupta had hired the services of one Ms. Chhaya Sharma (of Chhayadeep Foundation in Karol Bagh) for bringing in events and promoting the Club in media circles. Though there was no written contract between Chhaya Sharma and the FCC.

Services of Chhaya Sharma at the FCC were a result of the perfect quid pro quo between Umesh Sharma and Munish Gupta. Notably, Chhaya Sharma has been accused of indulging in an “ex-marital affair” with Umesh Sharma by the latter’s wife.

The lady (Chhaya Sharma) spent one full year at the Club drawing a handsome salary, but not doing even an iota of work, with tales of Umesh Sharma and her “cozying up and indulging in vulgar acts” in public inside the former’s car at the Supreme Court of India’s car-parking galore all these days!

The display of vulgar acts by the duo in public was the talk of the town and attracted enough media attention and coverage over the past one year!!

Pending several inquiries (including of financial irregularities) against him, Munish Gupta was unceremoniously removed from the post of FCC president three months ago, and a new Managing Committee took over under the leadership of veteran journalist S. Venkat Narayan.

Exactly after a year, sanity prevailed over the present Managing Committee and the lady’s “association” was severed, “thanks to President Venkat and Simran Sodhi, the lone Indian lady onboard the Managing Committee. President Venkat has taken charge of the things at the Club like never before”, a lady journalist member (JA category) of the Club told www.thedelhicrown.com over phone.

Chhaya Sharma was telephonically conveyed the Managing Committee’s “decision” on Sunday (July 9). But, the following day (when the Club was shut owing to flooding amid incessant rains), emboldened by her “friend” lawyer Umesh Sharma she forcibly entered the Club’s premises and created quite a scene there, abusing the staff and occupying a space for herself inside the Bar Room.

A police complaint of “trespassing” was subsequently lodged at the Tilak Marg Police Station by the Club against Chhaya Sharma.

“Despite being told that Chhaya Sharma is strictly barred from entering the Club, the two guards, including a lady guard, showed their sympathies and closeness towards her and allowed her inside. It was only when members of the Managing Committee scolded them for allowing her inside, the two guards swung into action and threw Chhaya Sharma out of the premises,” said a Managing Committee member privy to the whole episode.

It’s learnt that a couple of weeks ago, in a bid to pre-empt the Managing Committee’s move (of removing her) and arm-twist its members, Chhaya Sharma had showed the audacity of writing to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) falsely alleging that office-bearers of FCC’s Managing Committee, particularly the President, the Secretary and the Treasurer, were “harassing and pressurising her”.

“In a bid to scare the Managing Committee members, Chhaya Sharma in her letter written to the DCW had also given a vague reference of a complaint made by her against some other person. All this was done by Chhaya Sharma on the aid and advice of one and only one – lawyer Umesh Sharma. Basically Chhaya Sharma is a humble and less-educated lady but is under ‘direct influence’ of Umesh Sharma. Till date she has failed to realise that Umesh Sharma will make her life a hell one day, just like he has done with himself by deserting his wife and other family members,” said a member of the Managing Committee.

He added – “Umesh Sharma is a loose character, and a hard-core womaniser in the garb of being a lawyer. His wife caught him with women on several occasions. In recent past we found him misusing his position as a lawyer, misleading the courts by producing fake documents before the judges, and then meekly withdrawing the false legal cases filed by him. He spends a considerable part of his daily-life in playing dirty-tricks on others and indulging in unproductive works.”

According to a reliable source at the office of DCW Member Kiran Negi, an acknowledgement of Chhaya Sharma’s representation to the DCW was sent to the Club’s President Venkat Narayan, who, in turn, replied denying her “allegations” and stating that she (Chhaya Sharma) was “exerting pressure on the FCC by involving Constitutional offices to nullify the review of her work performance related to her association with the Club.”