A verbal clash between actor Salman Khan and fintech entrepreneur Ashneer Grover marked the latest episode of Bigg Boss 18 Weekend Ka Vaar. The episode saw Mr Khan calling out the BharatPe co-founder and former managing director’s “doglapan”, which means ‘double standards’ and is also the name of a book by Mr Grover.

Calling out Ashneer Grover for his previous statements about the actor, Salman asked, “I have heard you speaking about me. You said, ‘We signed him for this much, signed him for that much,’ and all your figures were wrong. So then, what is with the double standards?]”

“Doglapan” is a term that became popular after Ashneer Grover used it on Shark Tank India in 2021.

In response to Salman Khan’s remarks, Ashneer Grover shared a long post on LinkedIn, clarifying every comment and statement. He wrote, “I hope you enjoyed the Bigg Boss weekend ka vaar! I had good fun. And I am sure the particular episode got great TRP / viewership. BTW all of the statements below are TRUE: Salman is a great host & actor. Salman knows what works on Bigg Boss. I’ve always praised Salman for his sense of self and business – not a single thing demeaning said for him ever. My deal numbers are always correct (bank / auditor verified). Met Salman in an exclusive meeting on the brand collab for 3 hours in May 2019 in JW Marriott Juhu – along with the director of ad (it’s ok if he doesn’t remember me – I was not a public figure then – he meets tons of people). The invite for coming as guest on Bigg Boss was not ‘unnamed’ – just like the cheque for the same And finally I’ve a pic with him – which I didn’t earlier (with no managers around). Thanks Salman Khan. Keep rocking!”

What Happened On Bigg Boss 18:

For context, in April 2022, in conversation with the students of Lovely Professional University, Ashneer Grover recalled how he signed Salman Khan. He said, Mr Khan asked for Rs. 7.5 crore. When asked to reduce his fee, Mr Khan’s manager allegedly said, “Sir aap bhindi khareedne aaye ho kya? Kitni maandvali karoge?” (Sir, are you here to buy vegetables? How much more will you bargain?)

Salman Khan brought up this statement on the show and said that the figures quoted are incorrect.

Ashneer Grover clarified, “Maybe in the podcast, it did not come across correct.”

Salman Khan fired back, “But the way you are talking now, and the video I saw of you, this wasn’t your attitude back then.”

The shots were fired when Mr Khan revealed that he was unaware of Ashneer Grover’s name until his name was announced.

“I just got to know that you are coming here. I did not know your name also. Since I had seen your video, I recognised your face. I think you should be careful about how you present yourself,” Mr Khan added. Mr Grover once also called out Mr Khan’s “heropanti” after the actor’s manager instructed him not to take a picture with Mr Khan, citing the actor’s discomfort.

But this time, on the show, Mr Grover “finally” got clicked.

New Delhi:

Bharat Pe has officially settled its long-standing legal dispute with former co-founder Ashneer Grover in an agreement announced today, which states that Grover will no longer have any ties to BharatPe and neither will he hold any shares in the company.

Both parties were involved in a legal dispute since Mr Grover was removed from the position of Managing Director of BharatPe by the company’s board in March 2022.

“Both parties have decided not to pursue the cases filed. We wish Mr Grover well. BharatPe continues to focus on delivering industry-leading solutions to its merchants and customers driving growth with profitability,” said the Indian fintech company in a statement. 

This settlement comes amid allegations against Mr Grover and his family, including the arrest of Mr Grover’s brother-in-law, Deepak Gupta, by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police. They have been charged with claims of financial misconduct that reportedly cost BharatPe around Rs 81.3 crore. The company accused them of making improper payments to fake vendors and engaging in fraudulent activities.

I have reached a decisive settlement with BharatPe. I repose my faith in the management and board, who are doing great work in taking BharatPe forward in the right direction. I continue to remain aligned with the company’s growth and
success. I will no longer be associated with… pic.twitter.com/gB3Pla5qQZ

— Ashneer Grover (@Ashneer_Grover) September 30, 2024

In a statement after the settlement, Mr Grover took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and expressed his support for BharatPe’s management and board. “I repose my faith in the management and board, who are doing great work in taking BharatPe forward in the right direction. I continue to remain aligned with the company’s growth and success. I will no longer be associated with BharatPe in any capacity, nor be part of the capital table,” he wrote. 

As part of the settlement, some of Grover’s shares will be transferred to the Resilient Growth Trust for the benefit of BharatPe. A source close to the company said to Moneycontrol, that he will be transferring 1.4% of his holding to the BharatPe board, with the rest 3.5-3.7% going to a family trust. Both parties have also agreed to drop all ongoing legal cases against each other.

Days after the death of Ernst & Young (EY) employee Anna Sebastian Perayil, allegedly due to “overwork”, an old video of BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover talking about toxic work cultures has resurfaced on social media. In the video, the former Shark Tank India judge shared his decision to quit EY within a day, despite receiving a Rs 1 crore package.

The clip shows Ashneer Grover explaining how he exited EY on his very first day. “I walked into the office, looked around and pretended to have chest pain to get out,” Mr Grover said. He justified his actions by describing the office atmosphere as lifeless, referring to the employees as “mare huwe” (dead) and “laash” (corpses).”

However, he also put forward a controversial view that the best offices are those deemed “toxic” because that’s where, according to him, work gets done. “If anyone is saying an office has a toxic culture, then that one is the best,” Ashneer Grover said.

The video was shared by billionaire industrialist Harsh Goenka, who slammed Ashneer Grover for what he described as promoting a “toxic work environment”. “It’s baffling to see anyone advocate for a toxic environment,” Mr Goenka wrote on X, adding the hashtag #AnnaPerayil.

It’s baffling to see anyone advocate for a toxic environment. #AnnaPerayil
Your views? pic.twitter.com/QhPnCeKhxq

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) September 19, 2024

Anna Sebastian, a 26-year-old chartered accountant who joined EY’s Pune office four months ago, died in July, reportedly after enduring extreme work pressures. Anna’s mother, in a letter, claimed her daughter died due to “overwork” and accused the company of neglecting the well-being of employees.

The grieving mother also said that no one from EY attended the funeral and urged the company to reassess its work culture to prevent such tragedies in the future. “I hope my letter will bring real change so that no other family has to suffer what we have,” she wrote.

In a statement, EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani addressed the 26-year-old’s death and promised that he “will not rest” until the company creates a truly harmonious workplace. “I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished,” he wrote on LinkedIn. He also expressed regret that no one from EY attended Anna’s funeral, calling it “completely alien to our culture.”

New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted permission to former BharatPe MD Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover to travel to Doha and the United Kingdom.

A Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW). They had already challenged the LOC.

Justice Sanjeev Narula allowed the couple to travel abroad after considering their plea.

Justice Narula granted them permission to travel abroad after considering the submissions of the parties.

Grovers sought permission to travel to the United Kingdom from September 28 to October 7. The to Doha from October 17 to 20. He is scheduled to speak at the UK and Doha.

The plea was opposed by the advocate Rishikesh kumar, SPP for Delhi police.

They were earlier granted to travel to the USA.

Delhi police’s EOW is investigating a case related to alleged fraud of Rs. 81 crores.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court today referred a dispute between BharatPe, an online money transaction platform, and its former managing director Ashneer Grover to a sole arbitrator.

In its plea filed before the Delhi High Court, the fintech company alleged that Mr Grover disclosed confidential information relating to BharatPe on social media platforms, in violation of the employment agreement.

Before the issue reached Delhi High Court, responding to BharatPe’s notice to refer the matter to arbitration, Mr Grover agreed on the formation of an arbitral tribunal but disagreed on the name of sole arbitrator.

In an earlier round of litigation, the Delhi High Court imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Mr Grover over blatant violation of earlier orders and assurances made by him to not post on social media defamatory posts against BharatPe.

It had asked Ashneer Grover as well as the officials of the fintech company not to speak in a “unparliamentary” or “defamatory” manner against one another.

The Delhi High Court issued an order restraining Mr Grover from making defamatory and derogatory statements against BharatPe, its office bearers, or officials, and asked Mr Grover to remove his posts, including one calling the SBI Chairperson “petty”.

Ashneer Grover and his wife allegedly committed financial irregularities when they were at the helm of the fintech platform.

BharatPe terminated the services of Madhuri Jain, head of controls, after an internal probe found misappropriation of funds that ran into crores during her tenure.

The fintech platform claimed that Mr Grover, his wife, and their relatives were engaged in extensive misappropriation of company funds and grossly abused company money to fund their lavish lifestyles.

Mr Grover had already moved an arbitration plea with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre pleading that the investigation launched against him was illegal because it violated the shareholder agreement and articles of association.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ashneer Grover, who shot to fame with his outspokenness on Shark Tank show, has once again landed in a controversy for allegedly asking a comedian to take down a roast show he was a part of.

Co-founder and ex managing director of fintech startup BharatPe, Ashneer Grover was frequenty embroiled in controversies when he appeared on Shark Tank India season one.

He recently appeared in a popular comedy show called ‘Pretty Good Roast’ hosted by comedian Aashish Solanki. In the roast, Solanki did some jokes on Ashneer Grover’s removal from his own company BharatPe, a clip of which is now in wide circulation on social media.

The comedian revealed that the jokes didn’t sit well with the guest and he asked his bits to be removed from the video. Later, Solanki also received a legal notice to take down the entire video. The comedian obliged.

“Friends, I have removed the Ep 5 of Pretty Good Roast. I don’t have money to fight the legal battle. I had spent all of it on the show,” comedian Ashish Solank said in a post on his Instagram.

“The response on previous episodes led us to believe our audience were ready for roast humor. However, it seems that some, especially those in power, are not quite there yet,” he added.

The incident has sparked outrage among social media users who are calling out Ashneer Grover for his “doglapan” (duplicity), a word Ashneer Grover became popular for during Shark Tank, which also became the title of his book ‘Doglapan: The Hard Truth about Life and Start-Ups’.

Soon after Shark Tank season 1 in 2022, Ashneer Grover and his wife were removed from BharatPe over allegation of funds misappropriation.

After his short TV stint, Ashneer Grover turned to content creation on social media and featured in Instagram reels, YouTube video and podcasts with several content creators. He once said that he has made more money creating content on social media then he did during his entrepreneurial journey.

New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked payment app BharatPe’s former MD Ashneer Grover not to transfer or create any third-party rights in the shares transferred to him by the company’s co-founder Bhavik Koladiya.

Justice Prateek Jalan passed the interim order on a lawsuit by Mr Koladiya seeking to reclaim the shares he transferred to his erstwhile colleague.

The judge opined that the plaintiff, Mr Koladiya, made out a prima facie case for the grant of such an injunction as he would suffer irreparable loss and prejudice if third-party rights were created in the shares being claimed by him.

“Defendant No.1 (Grover) is therefore restrained from transferring or creating any third-party rights in the Suit Shares, or any rights accrued or which may accrue to him as a consequence thereof, until the disposal of the suit,” the court in its order.

“It is made clear that the observations and findings in this judgment have been recorded only for disposal of this application and are not intended to prejudice the parties at trial,” clarified the court.

Mr Koladiya and Shashvat Nakrani founded BharatPe in July 2017, although the firm was not incorporated till March 2018. Mr Grover had joined the company in June 2018 and resigned in March 2022.

Last January, Mr Koladiya had approached the high court claiming that he had sold to Mr Grover his 1,600 shares whose total value was around Rs 88 lakh but no money was paid to him.

He had said the shares have now become 16,000 and the title need not pass to Mr Grover and that he was asking for his goods back which he had given.

The court had then issued a summons to Mr Grover while noting his counsel’s submission that he would not create any third-party rights in the 16,110 shares in question under further orders of the court.

Mr Koladiya, in his interim application, had sought an interim injunction restraining Mr Grover from creating any third-party rights in the shares which are the subject matter of the suit.

The application was opposed by Grover’s counsel.

Mr Koladiya, who ran the fintech firm’s technology and product divisions, had stepped down in 2022.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Take care and take a break, investor Ashneer Grover advised Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath who announced today that he suffered a mild stroke some weeks ago.  

“Around 6 weeks ago, I had a mild stroke out of the blue. Dad passing away, poor sleep, exhaustion, dehydration, and overworking out – any of these could be possible reasons,” said 44-year-old Nithin Kamath, in a post on X.

 Soon after Mr Kamath’s post, wishes poured in from the industry.

“Dude – take care. Most likely you are deeply affected because of passing away of your dad – it got me too after my dad’s demise – I simply collapsed one day. Take a break!” ace investor Ashneer Grover, co founder of BharatPe, posted.

“My goodness, this has been a super tough time for you Nithin, take it easy and wish you the best to be healthy and smiling soon!” posted Deepak Shenoy, founder, Capital Mind CEO.

“Hey buddy. Take care. Here if you need anything. Wish you a speedy recovery. Admire your resilience,” said Bhavin Turakhia, founder Zeta suite, provider of next-gen credit card processing platform.

Mr Kamath said he was recovering but still “getting my treadmill count” and posted two contrasting pictures – one on his hospital bed and in another on a treadmill to drive home the message. 

Around 6 weeks ago, I had a mild stroke out of the blue. Dad passing away, poor sleep, exhaustion, dehydration, and overworking out —any of these could be possible reasons.

I’ve gone from having a big droop in the face and not being able to read or write to having a slight droop… pic.twitter.com/aQG4lHmFER

— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) February 26, 2024

“I’ve gone from having a big droop in the face and not being able to read or write to having a slight droop but being able to read and write more. From being absent-minded to more present-minded. So, 3 to 6 months for full recovery.

“I wondered why a person who’s fit and takes care of himself could be affected. The doctor said you need to know when you need to shift the gears down a bit,” he added.