New Delhi: Information technology giant Tech Mahindra has fired its BPO services training lead Richa Gautam with immediate effect after an investigation into allegations that she was homophobic towards a former employee. At the time of alleged discrimination and harassment, Gautam was the head of diversity and inclusion.
Last Sunday, former employee Gaurav Pramanik had tweeted a screenshot of an email he had set Gautam after decriminalisation of Section 377 by the Supreme Court. In the email, Pramanik said that in 2015, she had spoken “callously” and in a “bigoted way and the most insulting way”, making generalisations about people’s sexuality and their upbringing.
As promised, I wrote an email to my then boss at a Mahindra company I used to work with. She was a bigot and I suffered in her hands, I hence called her out. pic.twitter.com/4uHev8MY7G
— GauravProbirPramanik (@gauravpramanik) September 9, 2018
After the allegations, Twitter users also unearthed tweets from her personal account where she made bigoted remarks against the Indian Muslim community and tweets advocating the killing of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Following the allegations, the company announced on September 11 through Twitter that a thorough investigation would be conducted and steps would be taken as necessary. The company’s CEO and MD C.P. Gurnani also assured Pramanik that the issued would be investigated. According to reports, Gautam was no longer the diversity and inclusion officer as of a year ago.
On Saturday, the company said that Gautam had been “separated from the employment of the company with immediate effect”. It added, “At Tech Mahindra, we believe in diversity & inclusion & condemn discrimination of any kind in the workplace.”
@gauravpramanik,arising out of an investigation carried out in the matter,the concerned employee has been separated from the employment of the company with immediate effect. At Tech Mahindra,we believe in diversity & inclusion & condemn discrimination of any kind in the workplace
— Tech Mahindra (@tech_mahindra) September 15, 2018
According to the Indian Express, chairman Anand Mahindra had also replied to Pramanik, saying, “I can categorically assure you that we celebrate diversity in our workplace…. Tech M is investigating these allegations, and appropriate action will follow…” A company ombudsman is also believe to have called Pramanik to interview him. According to the Indian Express, Pramanik is said to have given the ombudsman contacts for other employees who had faced similar grievance.