ScoopWhoop's ex-employee alleges molestation by Co-founder
A former senior executive at online media startup ScoopWhoop has filed FIR against Co-founder Suparn Pandey accusing him of sexual harassment and assault. The complainant accused Pandey of making inappropriate remarks, sending her a lewd video, being uncomfortably close and publicly commenting on her sexuality. She also accused other Co-founders of abetting harassment and trying to conceal it.
After a series of allegations on social media from several women complaining of sexual harassment, Mumbai Police registered an FIR against CEO and founder of The Viral Fever, Arunabh Kumar. He came out and addressed the accusations made against him and said "I am a heterosexual, single man and when I find a woman sexy, I tell her she's sexy. I compliment women. Is that wrong?". The comment obviously did not help his case and he faced massive backlash for the same. After the incident, there were various debates and discussions on work place ethics and sexual harassment. Almost 15 days later, another similar incident has come to light. An FIR has been filed against ScoopWhoop co-founder Suparn Pandey accusing him of sexual harassment and sexual assault, as reported by Catch News.  Along with Suparn Pandey, other co-founders have also been named though for abetting harassment and trying to conceal it.A former senior executive of ScoopWhoop Media Pvt. Ltd filed the FIR at the Vasant Kunj (South) police Station, Delhi. The accused has been charged with section 354 A (sexual harassment), section 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman), and section 506 (criminal intimidation), reported Catch News.  The complainant has claimed that during her tenure at ScoopWhoop, which lasted two years, she faced 'inappropriate comments and lewd remarks' the entire time. Pandey even went on to comment on her sexuality. "Mr. Suparn Pandey in public commented on my sexuality and this comment included calling me a names (sic.) which reflected on my sexual orientation and my sexual preferences (sic.) as well as characterised me in a certain way", states the FIR according to a Catch News report . Her ordeal was not limited to verbal harassment, the complainant has claimed that Pandey repeatedly got 'uncomfortably close', 'often trying to play with her hair' . He unabashedly even sent her a lewd video on the company's official Gmail chat, the FIR alleges. 'Mr. Pandey got so bold as to send me a lewd video over the official Gmail chat, in which the words were "aapnu jeans dheeli karo"', reads the FIR. ScoopWhoop's inactionWhen the complainant, took up the matter with ScoopWhoop co-founder Sriparna Tikekar, she assured her that such behaviour would not be repeated. However, apparently she did not take any action against Pandey. The former senior executive did not stop raising the issue with the company's founders even after realising that it had no repercussions for Pandey. She was instead publicly humilated and was allegedly forced to work in close quarters with Pandey. If she was refused, she was "reprimanded and humiliated".Suparn Pandey used to show up to work drunk and would try to touch the complainant. She decided to quit after Pandey crossed all limits. 'Mr. Pandey approached me after the meeting, between 8-9:30PM, when I was alone at my work desk and asked me to be less "aggressive" in my dealings with other people and learn to "pour some sugar on it." That after that, he then got up, kissed my forehead and walked away,' the complainant recounts in the FIR .  She was allegedly dissuaded from lodging a formal complaint and the co-founders threatened to hurt her career and defame her publicly. Following a series of complaints and threats, she resigned from ScoopWhoop. 