Delhi High Court Issues Summons To HP India Over Ex-Employee's Harassment Suit

The Delhi High Court has issued summons to Hewlett Packard (HP) India and its officials on a suit filed by one of its former employees alleging harassment and wrongful termination.

Summons were also issued to all defendants including the Chief Human Resource Officer, Global Compliance Program Manager, former Managing Director of HP India, and others by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.

A bench of Justice V Kameswar Rao asked the defendants to file written statement within 30 days along with an affidavit of admission and denial of documents filed by the complainant Manoj Kumar Grover and listed the matter for further hearing on September 21.

In his suit, Mr Grover said that he was aggrieved by the illegal and wrongful termination of his services vide a letter dated June 12, issued by the defendants.

The complainant said that he filed the suit in relation to the systematic persecution, harassment and victimization committed by the defendants, which he claimed is not only in violation of the applicable laws, but is also in complete violation of the assurances, representations and warranties provided in the global policies of the HP Group.

"Having acted as the whistleblower and being the one to bring such rampant practices to the awareness of the senior leadership in HP India and to the relevant persons in HP Global, the plaintiff was shocked to see the brazen retaliation that the Plaintiff was being subject to in complete violation of the Global HP Policies," Mr Grover, who had joined the company in 2004, said in his suit.

Mr Grover urged the High Court to pass an order declaring that the complainant has been wrongfully terminated by finding the Termination notice to be unlawful, baseless and devoid of merit.

His suit also sought a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the loss of seniority due to the continuous harassment by the defendants for the period starting from 2016 till the date of filing the present suit and Rs 3 crores for the loss of reputation, Rs 17 crores for the loss of employment within the specified industry, Rs 10 crores due to the mental harassment incurred upon him and his family due to the physical and professional harm inflicted upon for the period starting from 2014.