Ashneer Grover, Bharat Pe’s founder is heaping blame on CEO Suhail Sameer accusing him of playing the puppet for the board. He revealed this appalling piece of information in an interview with Monrycontrol. He further stated that Suhail Sameer sided with the investors of the startup eventually ousting him from the company. This has added yet another haze of controversy to the already controversial news. It seems like there has been an evident crack in relations between communication lines that include the founder, CEO, board members, and employees. As the tensions mount between the company and its founder, the fate of the startup hangs by a very thin thread, a legitimate reason for concern and worry.
The What and Why
By the end of March, Grover had taken a leave of absence from the company to move away from the massive backlash and criticism he faced owing to his rather harsh treatment of Kotak employees using abusive words. The company and Grover were also under public scrutiny for the alleged toxic culture at BharatPe rounded off by brash and rude behavior. Following this, his wife Madhuri Jain Grover also went on leave last week, hinting at a possible connection between the events. Madhuri was in charge of controls in the company. Grover has now come up with the accusation that he was intentionally ousted by the board who had the support of the CEO, Suhail Sameer. The news has caused quite a stir.
Till now the company and Grover had made some tedious efforts to paint a picture of calm before the public trying to strike a conciliatory note. However, this declaration by Grover has negated all that throwing light on the rather big difference prevalent in the company. All these events have also led to an increased scrutiny of the company, its governance, and business practices. This also proves the information received from sources that the board isn’t too eager to have Grover back. A forensic investigation is being conducted by BharatPe’s board and external consultants to examine the company’s practices like accounting, hiring, approval processes, and so on.
Grover accused Suhail Sameer of being the investor’s puppet in addition to stating the possibility of a larger conspiracy behind the events that unfolded in recent times. What adds to the irony of the situation is the fact that a few weeks ago Sameer had given Grover a public vote of confidence emphasizing how integral he was to BharatPe.
