Ex-employee accuses ScoopWhoop co-founder of sexual harassment

Team Udayavani, Apr 12, 2017, 4:48 PM IST

New Delhi: A former employee of ScoopWhoop has alleged that she was sexually harassed by a co-founder of the online news portal, weeks after TVF’s Arunabh Kumar was booked by Mumbai Police on similar charges.

In a complaint filed at Vasant Kunj (South) police station south Delhi last month, the woman has alleged that the news portal’s co-founder Suparn Pandey touched her inappropriately and even sent her suggestive videos, said a senior police officer.

The officer said that Pandey has been booked for sexual harassment, using word or gesture to outrage the modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation.

The complainant has also alleged that her pleas to the office administration went unheard.

Police are investigating the case and no arrest has been made so far.

In an official statement, ScoopWhoop said, “We are extending full cooperation to the police to conduct a full and fair investigation into the matter.”

“ScoopWhoop strongly condemns any kind of harassment at the workplace. We work towards ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all our employees and take any complaints of harassment extremely seriously…We are fully prepared to accept the findings of the investigations and dutifully take the necessary action if found guilty,” it said.

The matter is also being inquired by ScoopWhoop’s Internal Complaints Committee.

Last month, an anonymous blog post by a woman alleging sexual harassment to her by The Viral Fever CEO Arunabh Kumar when she worked at the firm between 2014 and 2016 had gone viral. It was followed by similar allegations by some other women.

Two cases of sexual harassment were filed against Kumar in separate police stations in Mumbai. One of the cases was lodged based on a complaint filed by a former employee of TVF.