Case against angel investor Mahesh Murthy for sexual harassment
Mumbai/mumbai-police'>Mumbai Police have filed a sexual harassment case against Mahesh Murthy, Pinstorm founder and partner at Seedfund, after the NCW wrote to them about complaints they had received. Murthy's name had made headlines last year when several women accused him of harassment. Reports dated the incidents to 2003. Though Seedfund didn't have any complaints, the other partners stopped working with Murthy since 2013.
Incidents started as early as 2003, reports said
One of Murthy's earliest victims was 19-year-old Swati Pandey, who was allegedly forcibly touched and kissed at a cafe and then during a ride in Mumbai. Similar complaints followed from Anamika, who had moved to Mumbai from Chandigarh; Pooja Chauhan, Vayuz.com co-founder; entrepreneurs Wamika Iyer and Supriya Sahoo, and author Rashmi Bansal. A government officer too spoke out after her 17-yr-old daughter convinced her.
What emboldened Murthy?
Murthy's influential standing in the start-up world presumably gave him a sort of cover. He also relied on young female entrepreneurs not wanting to go to police and get involved in hassles, as Wamika Iyer said. Swati Pandey also attributed his choosing public places for meetings to his confidence that "these women won't raise a voice". "His courage comes from our fear," she added.
Case lodged after NCW writes a letter
In the meantime, the NCW received complaints from some women and wrote to the Maharashtra DGP seeking action against Murthy for using objectionable and derogatory words. It noted apart from the complaints, several media reports had tracked his activities. A case has now been lodged against him for stalking, intending to outrage the modesty of a woman, and for 'obscene material in electronic form'.
