A JUDGE has ruled that the man behind the bombshell JPMorgan lawsuit, accusing a female boss of treating him like a sex slave, cannot remain anonymous in his filing.
Chirayu Rana, 35, filed a lawsuit against high-ranking executive Lorna Hajdini, 37, in April under the pseudonym John Doe, claiming she sexually assaulted, racially abused, and drugged him.
Rana will have to refile his lawsuit since he can no longer stay anonymous, which comes after both JPMorgan and Hajdini’s legal teams challenged his attempt to mask his name.
“You can’t put the genie back in the bottle,” New York Supreme Court Judge Dakota Ramsuer told the courtroom on Tuesday afternoon.
Her decision came after she heard from all parties and then headed into chambers to discuss the issue with the attorneys.
Rana’s lawyer, Daniel Kaiser, was against the request, arguing that his client is a victim of sexual abuse and that he has never revealed his name.
Just hours before the hearing, Kaiser filed to discharge himself as Rana’s attorney, stating in court documents that he was searching for new counsel to take on his case.
He then asked the judge in court for a 60-day pause for Rana to find a new lawyer, but his request was denied, and he was asked to proceed and appear on his behalf.
Hajdini’s lawyers, who appeared on her behalf, argued she would be “severely prejudiced” if Rana was able to remain anonymous while her name is “allowed to be dragged through the mud.”
Her team further argued that “the identity of the plaintiff is already known,” saying he included “an excruciating amount of detail” in his complaint, naming supervisors and immediate colleagues.
They claimed “any reporter” could figure out who he was.
Rana first sued Hajdini in April, accusing the high-ranking executive of abusing him when they worked together.
He originally filed the lawsuit anonymously under the pseudonym John Doe to protect himself and his family, but was later identified by the New York Post.
JPMorgan’s counsel said his name being made public led to several bombshell revelations as the press began investigating his background and time at the bank.
They mentioned several news reports that allegedly exposed times when Rana lied, including about his father’s death.
Attorneys claim Rana took paid days off work in the months leading up to filing the lawsuit, after telling bosses that his father had died
He used five days of bereavement and other various forms of paid leave, the Post also reported.
However, his father, Chaitanya Rana, is still alive, per an interview he gave to the Post.
The elder Rana said he didn’t know about the lawsuit and added that his son is “a good guy.”
JPMorgan’s lawyers said Rana’s colleagues sent him flowers, and they only learned the truth about his father after the report came out.
Another claim mentioned in court cited details about why Rana begged to remain anonymous, out of fear that his family would be harassed.
Court documents reviewed by The U.S. Sun showed Rana was concerned about his mother, who runs a “New York state licensed daycare.”
However, records indicate she ran the business from their home in Virginia.
JPMorgan’s lawyers brought up the fact that he also confirmed his mother’s business is now based in New York in an interview he gave to media outlet The Juggernaut.
Speaking about the article, they also argued that it named him and featured direct quotes from Rana about his early life, education, and employment, along with his feelings about becoming an internet fascination after filing the case.
It was also claimed in court that bosses discovered Rana’s resume did not match up with his work history later revealed in the media.
They further noted that his crisis management firm had provided a comment to a media outlet naming him.
Kaiser, Rana’s attorney, said that “despite the media attention this case brings, it remains a confidentiality concern,” but his motion was denied.
Rana will now have to find new counsel if he wants to continue his legal fight ahead of the next court hearing on June 23.
The judge wrapped up the hearing by adding, “I do want to encourage on the record that everyone talk to their respective clients to the extent that they can and find out what, if anything, can make this case resolve itself.”
After appearing in court, Rana’s lawyer was overheard mentioning JPMorgan while talking animatedly on his phone outside of the building, as he paced up and down.
He then declined to comment on the case when approached by The U.S. Sun.
Rana alleged in the bombshell lawsuit that Hajdini turned him into her “sex slave” by drugging him with a date rape drug and Viagra, threatening to cut his bonus if he did not comply.
He did not directly report to Hajdini and instead had a different boss, meaning she would not have control over his annual bonus, sources told The Post.
Hajdini denied the allegations in a statement from her lawyers soon after they were made.
“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,” the statement read.
Rana claimed the abuse started soon after he joined the JPMorgan team in the spring of 2024.
A company spokesperson told The Post that an internal probe conducted by in-house lawyers and the HR department reportedly found no evidence to support Rana’s claims.
“Following an investigation, don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims,” the spokesperson said.
