JPMorgan CEO Lorna Hajdini has filed a countersuit against former banker Chirayu Rana, accusing him of fabricating claims that she used him as her "sex slave."
The defamation lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday (May 19), alleges that Rana orchestrated a months-long campaign of false accusations that went viral last month and destroyed her career, while also damaging her reputation.
"Ms. Hajdini categorically and unequivocally denies any allegations of wrongdoing. These allegations are completely false, malicious and fabricated, and were fabricated for the improper purpose of personal enrichment at the expense of the defendants and others," the lawsuit states, according to the New York Post.
Hajdini's lawyer stressed that Rana's main goal was to destroy their client's reputation for financial influence and extort millions of dollars from her and the bank. They also alleged that Rana had filed similar sexual harassment lawsuits at a previous job.
“Plaintiff fabricated similar bizarre and fabricated allegations of sexual misconduct against a supervisor at a previous place of employment. Ms. Hajdini seeks to protect her reputation, mitigate the significant harm she has suffered, and hold plaintiff accountable for his lewd and unlawful conduct,” the court filing states.
It all began in April, when Chirayu Rana, using the pseudonym “John Doe,” sued both Hajdini and JPMorgan. He described months of sexual harassment, racial slurs and threats. The lawsuit included allegations that Rana was forced into sexual encounters he didn’t want. He alleged that Hajdini used racial slurs and that she drugged him.
JPMorgan responded by saying that after an investigation, his allegations were not based on any facts. The bank stated that many employees cooperated with the investigation, while Rana himself refused to participate or provide evidence.
One of Rana's main claims was that Hajdini had threatened to reduce her bonus if she refused to have sex with him. However, according to human resources documents obtained by US media, Hajdini had no authority over his promotion or financial compensation, as the two reported to different managers within the bank.