Seedfund MD Mahesh Murthy Booked Over Sexual Harassment Charges
The complainants included a government officer, a journalist and an HR professional among others.
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Following several complaints, including one filed by the National Commission of Women (NCW), Mumbai police have registered a case against Seedfund Managing Partner and angel investor Mahesh Murthy, The Indian Express reported on 4 January.
Based on a complaint filed by a woman in Delhi, the NCW had written to the Director General of Police, Maharashtra, on 17 November last year, alleging “usage of objectionable, derogatory, sexual remarks and obscene signs on social media by renowned venture investor Shri Mahesh Murthy,” a press note said.
As per a report in Business Standard, a cognizable offence has been registered against Murthy at Mumbai’s Khar police station.
The NCW, in a press note, said that they requested the DGP’s personal involvement to investigate the matter “as such acts not only amount to outraging the modesty of women, but also attract attention for cyber crime.”
The misconduct was first highlighted by FactorDaily in April last year, which prompted many other women to recount their own stories going as far back as 2003. The complainants included a government officer, a journalist, and an HR professional among others, noted the story.
Some of the experiences that women shared ranged from inappropriate electronic messages and verbal advances to physical grabbing.
Murthy’s alleged behaviour got more public attention following the social media campaign #metoo, when a number of women accused Murthy of inappropriate conduct.
Murthy had put out an apology titled, ‘The confessions of a serial offender’, on his Medium blog.
The case against Murthy is registered under sections 354(D), 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and section 67 of the IT Act. IPC section 354(D) pertains to stalking, section 509 deals with word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman. Section 67 of the IT Act deals with obscene material in electronic form, The Indian Express report said.
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