Deeply pained by questions on our integrity : BharatPe

The controversy-riddled fintech unicorn BharatPe issued a statement on Friday stating that the company is 'deeply pained' by the questions raised on the integrity of the company's board and individual board members.

“We are deeply pained that the integrity of the BharatPe board or individual board members is being questioned time and again through misrepresented facts and baseless allegations. The company [has] said that the board is yet to receive any interim/ final report of the ongoing governance review. The board, in all its actions, has followed the process in the best interest of the company. We would urge that the confidentially and integrity of the governance review and board meetings is maintained by all. We request everyone, including the media, to show restraint and allow the governance review to take place in a thorough manner. The board is yet to receive any interim or final report of the review,” BharatPe said.
 
BharatPe has roped in risk advisory firm Alvarez and Marsel, and consulting firm PwC, as a part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged financial frauds committed by the company’s managing director and co-founder, Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain, who were overseeing the recruitment operations at the firm.
 
The preliminary report by the risk advisory firm, Alvarez and Marsal, engaged by BharatPe, has found inconsistencies with recruitment and fake invoices which involved Grover, Jain, and her brother, Shwetank Jain.
 
The report, which was reviewed by Business Today, refers to the October, 2021 search conducted by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) at BharatPe’s head office and issued summons to the company’s authorised signatory to appear before the authority on November 1, 2021.
 
Meanwhile BT has reached out to Ashneer Grover and his legal firm, Karanjawala and Co, for a comment. The story will be updated as and when they respond.