Pune: Exusia CEO And COO Summoned By Delhi Court For Defaming Employee On LinkedIn
Sumit Singh
Pune, 29th December 2023: In a recent development, a complaint has been lodged against Exusia India Pvt. Ltd., specifically accusing Founder and CEO Trevor Silver and COO Harpreet Mehta, for alleged defamation and other offences.
The complainant, who worked with Exusia India Pvt. Ltd. as a Partner/Manager/Managing Consultant from November 2, 2015, until November 3, 2022, claims to have faced unjust termination and subsequent damages to his professional reputation. Annual emoluments to the tune of Rs 50,00,000 were received by him.
According to the complaint, the complainant resigned on November 3, 2022, citing the failure of accused to fulfill a commitment regarding a bonus amount of $100,000. In response, the company allegedly issued a dismissal letter on November 17, 2022, and blocked the complainant’s email. Subsequent demands for severance pay, as per company practice, went unsettled. Further investigation revealed that Exusia India Pvt. Ltd. had not deposited Provident Fund (PF) and Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) in the respective departments.
The complainant alleges that, instead of resolving the financial dispute, the accused individuals resorted to making false and defamatory statements against him on LinkedIn. These statements, intentionally released to the public, have caused extensive professional damage, hindering the complainant’s prospects of employment with other organizations.
The complaint asserts that allegations of attempting to extort money were baseless and made with reckless disregard for the truth. The complainant served a legal notice on May 30, 2023, demanding an apology and the removal of defamatory statements. In response, received on June 14, 2023, neither an apology was tendered nor were the LinkedIn statements deleted by the accused persons.
After considering the evidence presented by the complainant and examining the case, Samiksha Gupta, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) of Dwarka Courts, found a prima-facie case for offences under section 499/500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against accused Trevor Silver, Harpreet Mehta, and Exusia India Pvt. Ltd. The court has ordered their summoning, with the next hearing scheduled for February 17, 2024.
