Former Skyesports Employee Accuses CEO and Executives of Harassment

Shiva Nandy, CEO of Skyesports

A former project coordinator at Skyesports, Mrinal "Jollies" Baranwal, has come forward with serious accusations of sexual harassment against several top executives at the Chennai-based tournament organizer. Her detailed account describes multiple inappropriate incidents that allegedly took place between April and October 2024.

Baranwal's allegations focus on CEO Shiva Nandy, Head of Esports Vijay Krishnan, and Head of Global Business Partnership Sashank Bhandaru. She claims these executives created an uncomfortable work environment for female employees through their behavior.

Detailed Allegations

Baranwal joined Skyesports in February 2024 and initially had positive experiences. However, she reports that things soon changed. According to her account, the executives would regularly invite her and other female colleagues to informal meetings at beaches, clubs, and restaurants—gatherings that were kept secret from other employees.

One particularly troubling incident allegedly occurred during a business trip to Mumbai. Baranwal claims that before the trip, Vijay Krishnan made suggestive comments about her clothing, telling her, "Don't pack loose clothes, if you know what I mean." During the trip, she alleges CEO Shiva Nandy invited himself to her hotel room and pressured her to drink alcohol, later expressing displeasure when she refused.

Baranwal also describes instances of unwanted physical contact. She claims Nandy repeatedly touched her shoulders and head during beach meetings and asked intrusive questions about her personal life and marriage plans. According to her post, Nandy suggested that her relationship status could affect her career growth at Skyesports, saying the company wanted to "groom" her as the "face" of the organization.

The situation reached a breaking point during a Dussehra festival celebration. Baranwal alleges she caught Krishnan scrolling through his phone and quickly hiding a rear-angle photograph of her that had been taken without her consent earlier that day. This incident left her feeling violated and ultimately led to her decision to resign.

HR Response and Aftermath

After raising her concerns with the HR team, Baranwal claims she received minimal response. The company allegedly organized only a "small PoSH seminar" (Prevention of Sexual Harassment), which the accused executives did not attend. Her follow-up inquiries reportedly went unanswered for five to six months.

In her live stream following the public allegations, Baranwal mentioned that HR only contacted her after she hinted about going public on her social media account—approximately six months after her initial complaint. She provided WhatsApp screenshots to support several of her claims, including conversations with HR representatives and the executives involved.

Baranwal's notice period ended in December 2024, and she has since left the esports industry to pursue postgraduate studies.

Supporting Voices

Following Baranwal's public statement, another former Skyesports employee named Alexa shared similar experiences on social media platform X. Although Alexa worked remotely, she described an uncomfortable incident during a company event in Bangalore where Vijay Krishnan allegedly became "inappropriately touchy" and forcibly grabbed her hand when she froze in discomfort.

Alexa claims she was later given an ultimatum: relocate to Chennai for an in-office position or resign. She chose to leave the company and described Skyesports as "the worst place to work at."

Popular streamer Tanmay "Scout" Singh also spoke out after the news broke, expressing concern about the increasing incidents of harassment in the industry.

Legal Context and Company Response

Under India's Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act of 2013, employers are required to maintain an Internal Complaints Committee and resolve sexual harassment complaints within 90 days. According to reports, Skyesports may have fallen short of these legal requirements.

As of the time of reporting, Skyesports and the named executives have not issued any public response to these allegations. The esports community is waiting to see how the organization will address these serious claims.