Sexual harassment charge is fabricated: Phaneesh Murthy

Phaneesh Murthy who has been sacked as CEO of iGate on sexual harassment charges says the case is completely fabricated.

In an audio conference call from California, Phaneesh Murthy who has been fired from the post of iGate's CEO on sexual harassment charges, told Indian journalists that the entire episode has been framed.

He, however, confessed that he had a relationship with Araceli Roiz, the IR (Investor Reins) Head of iGate for a few months and that it ended a couple of weeks ago.

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"Now, I am informed that she has filed sexual harassment charges against me in the company. She hasn't filed any charges against me in the court. I do believe that the charges are false. The company believes that I had violated the company policy by not informing about the relationship which I don't think I had."

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The company policy, he said was that an employee should inform the company if there was a relationship with another employee. He did inform the company but only after he ended the relationship. 

The charges were filed last week by her lawyer. "I didn't have a look at the complaint as I know it is false and completely fabricated."

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Later, if she files a case it in a court of law, he said, he would contest it. He strongly believed that it was "a case of extortion". "Ever since the first case was public, anybody feels that it is an easy way to collect money."

Murthy also said that he was removed from the post of the CEO without asking for any clarifications from him. But he said he was not sure whether he would contest his termination.

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"All this happened very suddenly, and I don't know what the next course of action would be. I have to really think about what I want to do but I have the determination to sail through."

On questioned whether he regrets the whole episode, he said, "Now that all this has happened, everything is a regret. No question about it."