Managers await judicial decision on Christmas Eve
By Yasmin Ahmed

Some Wipro employees in India and overseas will have a good or bad Christmas based on what a Judge in Bangalore rules on Dec 24, the day when the Court is expected to deliver a critical judgment on a harassment case. This case was filed by former Wipro employee Ram Mohan against nine managers at Wipro.

The allegations are that Ram Mohan had been subjected to coordinated harassment and then later confined to a room and asked to sign blank papers or resign by the Wipro managers mentioned in the complaint. This could be ostensibly to avoid issuing a termination notice. Ram Mohan had been employed with Wipro for 15 months as Team Leader. He joined Wipro on Dec 3, 2007 and exited on March 10, 2009.

Ram, who specializes in software testing,  had a successful 9 year career in the Indian tech industry before joining Wipro.  In his complaint to the police, Ram alleged that a Wipro Manager, Talent Engagement and Development, Testing services (BFSI) threatened him by saying, “I can do anything to you, if you don’t sign on the blank paper”.

Ram also alleges that while on assignment in Australia,  when he found a deficiency in the resource allocation and a faulty test process being implemented for the client AXA, the Wipro manager, Operations, Melbourne “abused him in Hindu and English and threatened to ruin his career”.

Ram Mohan had previously registered a harassment case with the police but the case had been rejected because they concluded the complaint was because he lost his job. The advocate of Ram Mohan, Mr. Kesavan told Techgoss that they had sent a legal notice to Wipro but they had replied denying all allegations. The case in now in court and the Judge is now looking into the complaint with the help of the police. The advocate says that if the magistrate is convinced of the harassment as having happened, the accused Wipro personnel might even have to appear in court.  Two of the alleged tormentors are still in Australia where Ram Mohan worked with them.

This is believed to be the first time a techie has gone to court alleging harassment with such details. Wipro is already drawing flak recently because of issues of harassment at a couple of other sites as well. Two Wipro employees had committed suicide within just the last six months.