The former Wall Street banker who accused his ex-boss of turning him into her “sex slave” is dropping his New York state lawsuit to relaunch what his new legal team describes as a far more sweeping case in federal court — with lawyers insisting the full story of what allegedly happened at JPMorgan “has not been told” and promising the public version of events is “about to change dramatically.”
Chirayu Rana, 35, rose to public attention in April when court documents described his explosive allegations against former boss Lorna Hajdini, 37, including claims she drugged him with Rohypnol and Viagra, coerced him into degrading sexual acts and threatened to destroy his career. Hajdini has consistently and categorically denied all of the allegations, and JPMorgan Chase has said an internal investigation found “no merit” in his claims.
Now Rana’s new legal team says the original lawsuit failed to capture the full extent of what they allege he endured. By switching to federal court, they say they can pursue additional claims — including racial discrimination, retaliation and interference with family and medical leave — that were not covered in the original state filing. Lawyers say they have also uncovered “substantial new evidence,” though they have not yet revealed specifics, and are preparing to file a new complaint in the coming weeks.
Attorney Jon L. Norinsberg issued a forceful statement promising a reckoning. “The public has been fed a wildly distorted version of this case, manufactured from sensational headlines that bear no resemblance to what actually happened to Mr Rana,” he said. “The full scope of racism, abuse, and retaliation he endured at JPMorgan has not been told. That ends today.” He added: “We intend to vindicate every one of Mr Rana’s rights and hold JPMorgan and Ms Hajdini fully accountable for the catastrophic harm they caused. The story the public thinks it knows is about to change dramatically. Stay tuned.”
The decision to refile comes after a judge ruled Rana could no longer maintain anonymity in the proceedings. Having originally filed as “John Doe,” Judge Dakota Ramsuer told the court bluntly: “You can’t put the genie back in the bottle,” forcing Rana to refile under his real name.
The case has been complicated by a series of counter-allegations. Hajdini has launched a defamation lawsuit accusing Rana of making “false, malicious and fabricated” claims for personal gain. Her lawyers said 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.” JPMorgan’s spokesperson said numerous employees cooperated with its internal investigation but “the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations.”
Rana’s new lawyers have dismissed the defamation countersuit as retaliation. Attorney Bennitta L. Joseph said: “This countersuit is a transparent act of retaliation, a desperate effort to punish Mr Rana for having the courage to report the racism and abuse he suffered. It is meritless, and we will dismantle it.”
The case has been further complicated by claims raised in court that Rana lied about his father’s death to obtain bereavement leave, despite his father reportedly being alive. The next hearing in the state case is scheduled for 23 June.
