BANGALORE: Phaneesh Murthy ousted CEO of iGate will face legal action for sexual harassment of the company's investor relations head Araceli Roiz, Roiz law firm said in a press release issued late on Wednesday night.
The statement said that in his role as supervisor Roiz, Murthy had insinuated himself into the personal lives of Roiz on the pretext of the need of the company. "This way, Mr. Murthy was able to induce Ms. Roiz in behavior and action that would have found unthinkable at the start of the employment relationship," he said. The law firm said Murthy began pursuing Roiz shortly after his employment began in 2010, and not, as Murthy said at the press conference on Tuesday, which started a few months ago.
The firm said that the only reason Murthy was able to participate in "these abusive acts of harassment" was because it was the employer Roiz. "The CEO of a company, Mr. Murthy was here, has enormous economic and personal power over their subordinates. Way, Ms. Roiz was responsible for his continued employment of their basic expenses and also Mr . Murthy conditioned on your new job and career advancement opportunities in entering into a relationship with him, which, eventually and reluctantly, he did. When she tried to extricate herself from the relationship, reduced its responsibilities, threatened their continued employment, and pressed to continue the relationship, "the release said.
The law firm said it would take legal action against iGate too. "Under California law, as Mr. Murthy was an officer and director of iGate, his actions were the actions of iGate iGate and is also responsible for the acts of Mr. Murthy. Remains the question of whether, given the Mr. Murthy history predatory action toward employees, iGate did everything I should have done to monitor and control Mr. Murthy and provide a method for women in iGate report their actions, "he said.
The law firm took serious objections to Roiz Murthy's comments that was engaged in "extortion" to bring this case against him. "Murthy's comments are defamatory and an attempt despicable` blaming the victim ", who just wants to continue his career somehow and keep your child."
The lawyers of the firm previously represented Reka Maximovitch and Jennifer Griffith in sexual harassment lawsuits against Murthy for his actions while employed at Infosys. "Ms. Roiz selected law firm, Aiman-Smith & Marcy, based on a reputation of the company as vigorous advocates for victims of discrimination in employment and success before getting compensation for any of the previous victims Mr Murthy, "said the firm.
The firm said that Murthy had not convened a very public press conference ", which tried to make themselves look better, lying and slandering Roiz, would not have borne the shame and humiliation of disclosure of these facts, however, has been forced to do to counter, very public false statements Murthy ".
