Harshita Saxena surrendered Miss India Earth title

Harshita Saxena, the Pantaloons Femina Miss India Earth title winner, Friday surrendered her crown after landing in a legal soup for breaching a contract with her previous modelling agency Gladrags. Harshita has surrendered her crown and withdrew her candidature from the contest, Sameer Soni, national director of Femina Miss India, told IANS by phone from Mumbai. The beauty pageant was held April 5.

'Tanvi Vyas, the next on the list, will be crowned Miss India Earth next week,' he added.

'Harshita is an optimist and said, 'I am already a winner and will participate next year',' Soni said.

Harshita was forced to surrender the title when Maureen Wadia, president of Gladrags beauty pageants, sent her a legal notice for violating the contract that the 20-year-old had signed with the company and complained to the Femina Miss India organisers.

'Harshita was in a two-year contract with us. As per the agreement, she was not supposed to participate in any other contest without our permission. By winning the Miss India Earth crown, she has breached the contract,' said Wadia.

Defending Harshita, Soni said: 'Actually, Harshita had signed the two-year contract with Gladrags on March 13, 2006. From then onwards, she was not supposed to participate in any other contest without the company's permission.'

'But it also had a hidden clause, according to which the agreement could be applicable from the date when the event (Gladrags contest) gets staged. Harshita couldn't read in between the lines. The Gladrags pageant was held April 8, 2006,' Soni said.

'The Femina beauty pageant happened on April 5, 2008, and her contract ended three days after the event,' explained Soni.

'Our selection procedure is much-hyped. And before the grand finale, contestants undergo a 21-days training programme. Why didn't it occur to the Gladrags people to protest earlier?' Soni asked.

'It is quite strange that only after she won the crown and came under media glare that they decided to react,' said Soni, obliquely hinting that it was a publicity gimmick.

However, Wadia said that the organisers must be more vigilant while selecting candidates.

'The organisers must be more vigilant, there should be better screening methods. I agree mistakes can happen, but I am extremely disappointed with the girl, who knew about the contract and still went ahead and participated. Youngsters must learn to respect the law and people.'

In the April 5 contest, Parvathy Omanakuttan of Kerala bagged the Miss India World crown and Simran Kaur Mundi of Mumbai became Miss India Universe 2008. Harshita from Goa, was the second runner-up and was crowned Miss India Earth.

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