Was abused, harassed, got no stipend, alleges Rachel Gupta after renouncing beauty pageant title

Having recently given up her crown of Miss Grand International 2024, Jalandhar-based Rachel Gupta on Monday alleged that she had been abused, harassed and even blackmailed by the organisation, forcing her to take the tough decision.

Rachel, 21, alleged that the Thailand-based pageant organisers did not pay her any stipend after one month. "I have faced a lot of nasty comments on my physique. The organisers would send their representatives, who would pinch me on my body and tell me that I had put on weight. I could not bear it anymore. They have attacked me on social media posting zoomed pictures of my body parts. I had to finally stand up for my self-respect as I felt threatened and was deprived of a safe place,” she said.

The model also alleged that the terms of her contract had been violated. "I was not paid any stipend after the first month of winning the crown. I had to seek financial support from my parents in Jalandhar even for basic needs like food and it did not feel good. The contract mentioned that I would be made to tour 20 countries as an ambassador but was taken to only Czech Republic."

Rachel said she had come to know that there had been episodes of harassment with previous title winners too. "They have a history of harassing women. They did the same in 2015 and 2022. They have been pressing women to go in for plastic surgeries,” she said.

Asked if she intended to take a legal course, she said, "I need to deliberate on that. Since it is an international dispute, there will be legal issues involved. However, I have ample proof of the harassment that I have faced, including screenshots of the texts exchanged with them."

On her future plans, she said, "I think I am a free bird today, not bound by any contract, and sky is the limit for me. The first thing that I shall do is to warn the girls preparing for this crown to remain watchful and learn from my experience."

On the allegations levelled by the organisers of breaching the contract terms by doing certain events outside, she said, "I had been barred from doing any programmes in India. But I messaged them about certain good events I had in hand. I still have messages wherein they gave their consent. They even asked for pictures of these events and put these out on their social media pages as an appreciation of the same. So, their allegations are baseless."