In what has become the biggest controversy the world is obsessed with after the Coldplay kiss cam scandal, the development is consistent and increasingly shocking. On April 29, a Daily Mail exclusive sent the globe reeling with curiosity after it revealed that Lorna Hajdini, an executive director in JP Morgan Chase’s Leveraged Finance Division was accused of coercing a married banker into ‘non-consensual and humiliating sex acts’ despite his pleas to stop.Chirayu Rana, filed the lawsuit under the pseudonym ‘John Doe’ and placed some extremely controversial allegations on Hajdini. Here’s how the case has developed over the days:
John Doe files a complaint
On Monday a complaint was filed in the New York County Supreme Court by a plaintiff who has been using an anonymous name to protect himself and his family. He accused Hajdini, 37, of drugging him with ‘roofies’ on multiple occasions and performing forced sexual acts on him as he cried. He said the abuse began almost immediately after the two started working together in 2024.
Forced association by Lorna Hajdini
In May 2024, Doe said Hajdini dropped her pen on the floor next to his desk and while bending to pick it up, rubbed his leg and squeezed his calf, proceeding to make a lewd statement. Later in the month, she invited him for drinks, but when he declined, she threatened to “ruin” him. Twice, he claimed she proposed him for oral sex in the office, calling him “my little brown boy.”
Threatened professional career
While Doe claimed he resisted her advances, Hajdini allegedly threatened professional retribution, telling him to start “pleasing” her if he wanted to be promoted to executive director. He said the alleged harassment escalated with racial abuse where she coerced him into sexual assault. He also claimed that Hajdini used her executive status to gain unauthorized access to his bank account to track his “every move,” and also showed up at his apartment unannounced to make sexual advances.
JPMC placed him on leave
Chirayu Rana accused JPMC of enabling the alleged abuse and retaliating against him.
In the lawsuit, Rana accused JPMC of enabling the alleged abuse and retaliating against him after he reported it. He claimed that the firm placed him on involuntary leave, destroyed his reputation and allowed threats against him to continue while Hajdini went unpunished. In May 2025, he said he delivered a written complaint to JPMC detailing the discrimination and harassment and sexual abuse but a week later he began receiving anonymous threatening phone calls from individuals attempting to scare him into silence.
John Doe takes the complaint back
As per PEOPLE, a court representative told the outlet on May 1, that the complaint had been “returned for correction” and was no longer publicly available.
JPMC denies allegations
JPMC denied Doe’s claims, insisting an investigation found no evidence to support his allegations. “Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims,” a JPMC spokesperson told the outlet. “While numerous employees cooperated with the investigation, the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations.”
Lorna Hajdini denies allegations
In a statement to the outlet, Hajdini’s attorneys said she “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,” her lawyers said.
John Doe took bereavement leave
Chirayu Rana allegedly lied to the bank about his father dying so he could collect nearly three months of paid leave.
On May 4, The New York Post reported that Doe lied to the bank about his father dying so he could collect nearly three months of paid leave. He apparently used the time off to prepare for the lawsuit against Hajdini and JPMC. Sources said to the outlet that in December 2024, Doe informed supervisors about the supposed death of his father, Chaitanya and that he needed time off work to be with his family. However, the outlet discovered recently that the man is alive and well and knew nothing of his son’s legal dispute.
John Doe took advice from a legal chatbot
As per NYP, Doe also took advice from an online legal chatbot while describing similar allegations. Around July 2024, he sought advice from AskALawyerOnCall.com, roughly 10 months before his claims became public. However, in the chatbot interaction, Doe refers to the perpetrator as “he”, contrasting his filing against Hajdini, who is a female executive. He also shared that he signed a separation agreement under pressure since he had been threatened. He also said he had been struggling with mental health since then. “Do you think I actually have a valid claim?” and “Do you know anyone who might take my case?” he allegedly asked.
John Doe files new exhibits
On Monday, Doe filed new exhibits to the docket including a first-person affidavit in which he claimed to be suffering from PTSD as a result of the alleged abuse. There are also witness statements with details, quotes, and alleged encounters with Hajdini in September 2024. They also claimed witnessing Hajdini be “handsy” with Rana at a concert. Another anonymous witness claim they saw Hajdini kissing Rana’s neck on the street in summer 2024. Doe is seeking damages for lost earnings, emotional distress and reputational harm, as well as punitive damages and changes to the bank’s practices.
