Never felt threatened, say colleagues of Genpact executive

GREATER NOIDA: Two women colleagues of Genpact assistant vice-president Swaroop Raj, who allegedly committed suicide after being accused of sexual harassment at workplace, said they never felt threatened under his leadership. A prayer meeting for Swaroop was held on Sunday in the community club of Paramount Floraville in Sector 137, where he lived with his wife Kriti. At least 100 people, including a few colleagues, attended the event.

Accusing the company of not following protocol, Swaroop’s relatives alleged that Internal Complaints Committee, which was probing the allegations, had decided to suspend him without even sharing details of the complaint. None from the company management had come to meet the family after his death, they claimed.

A Genpact spokesperson had last week said the company would carry out a fair probe. In the suspension letter handed to Swaroop, the company had said he would remain suspended till the time the allegations against him were probed.

“He never thought of changing his job, which is enough to prove his loyalty towards the company. The treatment he received in return is unfortunate. He was handed the suspension letter straightaway after the allegations were levelled against him. A copy of the complaint should have been attached with the letter. We cannot just brush aside a possibility of office politics. He was the youngest assistant VP. He achieved so much in so less time,” said Archit Srivastava, Swaroop’s brother-in-law.

Swaroop had joined Genpact as a process developer in 2007, a year after he finished his MBA from an institute in Tamil Nadu. He continued with the job and became one of the youngest assistant vice-presidents of the company. In the same office he met Kriti, who works as a management trainee, and decided to marry her.

A few women colleagues of Swaroop who attended the prayer meeting told TOI they never felt oppressed in his leadership. “He was a generous man who always addressed his team as family. We could never think of him harassing anyone,” said a colleague, requesting not to be identified.

Police said they were still awaiting details of those who were in the committee that decided to suspend Swaroop in order to move ahead with the probe. “We had visited the office in Sector 137 for questioning the complainants who have been booked for abetment to suicide. The company officials told us that some of the senior members who were in the committee are currently abroad. We were assured that the lawyer representing the company will hand over the case details and the names of those involved in a few days,” said Muneesh Chauhan, the station house officer of Surajpur police station.