Rana has submitted what he describes as fresh supporting material in his lawsuit against executive Lorna Hajdini.
The new filings include anonymous witness statements detailing alleged incidents from September 2024, as per a report in New York Post. According to the documents, one witness described being awakened during the night and allegedly urged to join Rana and Hajdini, while also claiming to have overheard Rana resisting advances.
When she returned to the bedroom, the witness claimed that he could hear Rana pleading, “No, no, no, you have to leave. I’m not going to do this. Please stop.” The filings also include another anonymous affirmation, believed to be from the owner of the apartment where the witness was staying, which adds further claims about alleged interactions between Rana and Hajdini.
According to the statement, the individual claimed to have seen Hajdini kissing Chirayu Rana’s neck on a street in the summer of 2024. The same account further alleges that in September 2024, she overheard the two entering her apartment building, recalling a remark attributed to Hajdini that “sounded like ‘I own you Brownie.’”
Rana has also submitted medical documentation asserting that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which he claims stems from the alleged incidents.
Despite these claims, JPMorgan and Hajdini have categorically denied any wrongdoing. The bank stated that an internal investigation, reviewing emails, records, and devices, found no evidence supporting Rana’s allegations. The bank also noted that Hajdini cooperated fully with the inquiry, while Rana allegedly did not.
Adding to the controversy, separate reports have raised questions about Rana’s conduct during his tenure at the firm. As per the New York Post, he falsely informed the bank of his father’s death in late 2024 to obtain extended paid leave. However, his father was later found to be alive, and reportedly unaware of the legal battle. The leave period is believed to have been used to prepare the bombshell lawsuit against Hajdini and his employer.
“I don’t know anything about it. He didn’t talk with us or anything. He’s my son. He’s a good guy,” his father, Chaitanya Rana, told The Post. Sources familiar with the matter said Rana had earlier informed the bank’s top brass that his father was seriously ill, which allowed him to work remotely starting in the fall of 2024. He later took an extended leave between March and May, during which an initial draft of the complaint was reportedly shared with the bank’s legal team.
According to individuals with direct knowledge, the draft included a claim stating that “in or around November 2024, the plaintiff’s father passed away, and he went to his parents’ home in Virginia.”
One source alleged that the company initially believed Rana was dealing with a personal crisis, but later questioned the circumstances, suggesting he may have been “trying to play the system.”
The draft complaint was reportedly prepared by attorney Greg Chiarello and also claimed Rana’s mother, Baruna, was sick. Nearly a year later, Rana formally filed the lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court under the pseudonym “John Doe,” accusing Hajdini of serious misconduct, including coercion and threats linked to his career.
However, further inconsistencies have emerged. Reports indicate that during his time at JPMorgan, Rana did not directly report to Hajdini. Internal organisational records reviewed by the bank reportedly show that Hajdini holding no direct reports in her role within the leveraged finance division.
