Gurgaon CEO denies employee's ‘stair punishment' claim, alleges smear campaign over ₹3.6 lakh

Hindustan Times

05-05-2025

A former employee of a Gurgaon-based edtech platform took to LinkedIn on Friday to claim he was made to climb stairs as punishment for not meeting sales targets. Piyush Kumar, 24, said he resigned from Hike Education last month over 'repeated mental harassment, defamation, and professional humiliation.' He accused company manager Ruchi Parashar of 'relentless mental harassment,' also sharing a video that shows him climbing a staircase while holding his ears.
However, Hike Education CEO Rahul Sharma has denied these allegations in a statement to HT.com, claiming that Kumar has orchestrated a smear campaign against the company after a failed bid to extort ₹3.6 lakhs. Sharma, who is married to Ruchi Parashar, also said that she has been receiving threats since Kumar went public with his false claims.
In his LinkedIn post, Piyush Kumar said that Hike Education manager Ruchi Parashar harassed and humiliated him repeatedly. 'Every day, I was pressured to deliver a specific number of admissions. One day, I was forced to sign a note stating that if I failed to meet the target, I would take 50 rounds of the stairs as punishment,' he said.
'Unfortunately, I couldn't achieve the numbers that day. Despite apologizing sincerely, I was forced to catch my ears and take multiple rounds of stairs, over and over again—in front of other colleagues,' Kumar wrote.
In a conversation with HT.com that took place over WhatsApp, Kumar also said the number of rounds was reduced to 10, but he felt humiliated. The incident took place on April 4, and he resigned two days later.
He shared a copy of his resignation letter with HT.com, where he claimed that Parashar's actions created a hostile work environment and urged the HR department to launch an investigation into the incident.
'They forced one employee to record the video and when I mailed them and told them I would take action, they forced that employee to sign a paper saying that the videos were made as part of fun activities,' Kumar told HT.com.
Rahul Sharma, CEO of Hike Education, dismissed Kumar's claims as baseless, calling them an attempt to extort the company out of ₹3.6 lakh.
He said that the video which shows Kumar holding his ears was taken outside office premises and was part of a fun team activity rather than a punishment. He also claimed that multiple women employees had come forward with allegations of harassment against the ex-employee.
'Mr. Kumar's claims are false, malicious, and constitute a calculated attempt to damage the professional and personal reputations of myself, my wife Ms. Ruchi Parashar (Manager at Hike Education), and the organization as a whole,' Sharma told HT.com.
'The video being exploited online was captured during a voluntary, informal team-fun activity. It clearly shows Mr. Kumar actively participating, smiling, and enjoying the session—without any indication of coercion, discomfort, or objection. His attempt to mischaracterize the event is clearly retaliatory in nature, arising only after his unethical demand of INR 3.6 lakhs was rightfully refused by the company,' he added.
Piyush Kumar told HT.com that after he sent the email to management, the CEO asked him if he would consider a settlement. Kumar demanded 12 months of salary and an apology from Ruchi Parashar to settle the matter. 'But then they never replied for this,' he told HT.com.
The CEO of Hike Education said that his wife Ruchi Parashar has been receiving threats since Kumar's LinkedIn post went viral. He also claimed that several women had raised allegations against Kumar of inappropriate behaviour, which the company tried to solve in line with POSH policies.
He said that Kumar even admitted to the misconduct and promised not to repeat it.
'Importantly, in April 2025, we had already received complaints from multiple female employees regarding Mr. Kumar's inappropriate and troubling conduct. As a responsible employer, we first attempted to address the matter through internal resolution mechanisms in line with our company's POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) policy. Additionally, we also sought the involvement of the local police authorities to amicably and lawfully manage the issue without escalating matters.
'Following these actions, Mr. Kumar admitted to his misconduct and provided a written assurance that he would refrain from further inappropriate behavior, including any act of blackmail or publishing falsehoods against the company or its employees,' said Sharma.
You can read the full statement below:
This statement is issued to categorically refute and strongly condemn the baseless and defamatory allegations being circulated on LinkedIn by a former employee, Mr. Piyush Kumar. Mr. Kumar's claims are false, malicious, and constitute a calculated attempt to damage the professional and personal reputations of myself, my wife Ms. Ruchi Parashar (Manager at Hike Education), and the organization as a whole.
The video being exploited online was captured during a voluntary, informal team-fun activity. It clearly shows Mr. Kumar actively participating, smiling, and enjoying the session—without any indication of coercion, discomfort, or objection. His attempt to mischaracterize the event is clearly retaliatory in nature, arising only after his unethical demand of INR 3.6 lakhs was rightfully refused by the company.
Importantly, in April 2025, we had already received complaints from multiple female employees regarding Mr. Kumar's inappropriate and troubling conduct. As a responsible employer, we first attempted to address the matter through internal resolution mechanisms in line with our company's POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) policy. Additionally, we also sought the involvement of the local police authorities to amicably and lawfully manage the issue without escalating matters.
Following these actions, Mr. Kumar admitted to his misconduct and provided a written assurance that he would refrain from further inappropriate behavior, including any act of blackmail or publishing falsehoods against the company or its employees.
However, in May 2025, Mr. Kumar willfully violated this undertaking by publishing a fabricated and malicious post online, clearly aimed at discrediting the company and shielding himself from legal accountability. We possess conclusive evidence—including emails, chat logs, and signed statements—that have already been submitted to the concerned authorities and LinkedIn for legal action.
As a direct consequence of this orchestrated smear campaign, Ms. Ruchi Parashar is now receiving threats and sexually explicit messages from anonymous individuals, creating serious concerns for her safety and psychological well-being. Her reputation, painstakingly built over the years, has been unfairly tarnished due to this deliberate misuse of digital platforms.
Hike Education maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward any form of harassment, discrimination, or unprofessional conduct. We are a law-abiding, ethically run organization with a clean record. These false accusations are a blatant abuse of media platforms and legal protections, weaponized by one disgruntled individual for personal gain.
We have already initiated formal police complaints and legal proceedings are actively underway. Furthermore, any individual or platform that promotes, republishes, or enables the spread of these unverified defamatory claims will be made a party to the ongoing proceedings, under relevant provisions of the law.
We call upon the media, public, and all digital platforms to act responsibly. Verify facts before amplifying one-sided narratives. Do not allow justice to be derailed by manipulation and digital mob trials.
We remain committed to the truth, to protecting our people, and to upholding the values and dignity of Hike Education.
Rahul Sharma
Chief Executive Officer
Hike Education