Sex harassment claims against JPMorgan exec fabricated by staffer? Report adds twist

A former JPMorgan employee identified as Chirayu Rana has accused executive director Lorna Hajdini of sexual abuse in a lawsuit, while the bank says its internal inquiry found no evidence. The dispute has widened into claims of retaliation, with the case drawing scrutiny because the complainant and executive worked as colleagues rather than in a direct reporting line.

In Short

• The complaint alleged drugging, coercion and threats linked to annual bonus
• JPMorgan said its HR and legal review found no supporting evidence
• The bank said the complainant refused interviews and crucial factual details

A new report appears to have punched holes in allegations of workplace sexual harassment and racial abuse made against senior JPMorgan Chase executive Lorna Hajdini by a former employee, identified as Chirayu Rana by The New York Post. The 35-year-old Rana, who is currently working as a principal at investment firm Bregal Sagemount, had filed the lawsuit earlier this week under the pseudonym John Doe.

In the suit filed on Monday, Rana accused Hajdini, 37, an executive director, of subjecting him to sexual abuse, including claims that she drugged him with Rohypnol and Viagra and threatened to cut his bonus if he did not comply.

But in a dramatic twist, JPMorgan found nothing after conducting a detailed probe of phone records and emails. The other issue was that, although Rana accused Hajdini of using her position as his senior to seek sexual favours, the New York Post report found that she was not in his direct reporting line. So, Rana’s claim that she “threatened his bonus” falls flat, according to the New York Post report, as she had no control over his compensation.

CHIRAYU RANA'S VERSION

Rana, who is of Asian origin, according to various social media users, had accused her of calling him “my little brown boy” while making sexual innuendos.

He recalled that Hajdini once allegedly said, “Birthday BJ for the brown boy? My little brown boy.”

While some accounts on social media claimed he was of Nepalese origin, others alleged he was of Indian origin. India Today could not independently verify these claims.

The Daily Mail first reported the case on Wednesday evening, citing details from a court filing that was later withdrawn for “corrections.”

According to the now-deleted court papers cited by the British tabloid, Hajdini, who works on JPMorgan's leveraged finance team, was also accused of arriving unannounced at Rana's flat and forcing him to have sex.

LORNA HAJDINI'S SIDE OF THE STORY

Hajdini denied the allegations in a statement issued to The Post through her lawyers, saying: "Lorna categorically denies the allegations. She never engaged in any inappropriate conduct with this individual of any kind and has never even been to the location where the alleged sexual assault supposedly took place."

In his complaint, he said the alleged coercion began soon after he joined JPMorgan's leveraged finance team in the spring of 2024. He reportedly filed an internal complaint in May 2025, alleging race-based and gender-based harassment and abuse of power, before attempting to negotiate a payout running into "millions" to leave the bank.

The lawsuit also named JPMorgan Chase as a defendant, accusing the bank of retaliation and of failing to carry out a proper investigation.

JPMorgan denied the allegations in full. A spokesperson for the bank told The New York Post that detailed internal investigation by the human resources department and in-house lawyers, including a review of team phone records and emails, found no evidence to support the claims.

"Following an investigation, we don't believe there's any merit to these claims. While numerous employees cooperated with the investigation, the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations," The New York Post quoted the spokesperson as saying.

JPMorgan has reportedly stated that Rana even refused to participate in the internal probe. He had tried negotiating a payout in the millions, but the bank did not agree.

According to The New York Post, Hajdini was not Rana's boss and that the two were colleagues on the leveraged finance team, which handles acquisitions, mergers and buyouts.

The report, citing sources, further stated that while Hajdini’s managing director was Brandon Graffeo, Rana’s was Jon Wolter, meaning she would not have had control over the size of his annual bonus.

- Ends