Wipro Initiates Legal Action Against Former CFO Jatin Dalal; Arbitration Requested

Wipro Initiates Legal Action Against Former CFO Jatin Dalal; Arbitration Requested

Written by Sanjay Kumar

In a surprising turn of events, Wipro, a leading IT major, has taken legal action against its former Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jatin Dalal, by filing a lawsuit in a civil court in Bengaluru. The details of the lawsuit remain undisclosed, and the specific grounds for the legal proceedings are yet to be revealed.

In response to Wipro’s legal action, Jatin Dalal has counteracted by submitting an application to the court, urging it to refer the matter to arbitration. The next hearing for this case is scheduled for January 3, as reported by Times of India. During this hearing, the court will determine whether the dispute between Wipro and Dalal should proceed to arbitration, an alternative dispute resolution method involving an arbitrator.

Arbitration becomes a viable option if the employment contract between the parties explicitly stipulates it, according to the TOI report.

Jatin Dalal, who served as Wipro’s CFO since 2015, resigned from the company in September. Shortly after, he assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer at Cognizant Technology Solutions. His departure marked the end of a significant tenure at Wipro, where he joined in 2002.

Aparna Iyer has been appointed as Jatin Dalal’s successor, officially taking over the role of Wipro’s CFO on November 30.

In early December, Dalal took a proactive step by filing an application under Section 8 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996. This section empowers the judicial authority to direct parties involved in a dispute to pursue arbitration as a means of resolution.

Notably, Jatin Dalal is the second high-profile hire by Cognizant in the last twelve months, following the appointment of former Infosys President Ravi Kumar S as its CEO in January.

In a related development, Wipro has also lodged a complaint against its former Senior Vice-President (SVP) and Head of Healthcare and Medical Devices for the Americas, Mohd Haque. The complaint alleges that Haque violated non-compete covenants by joining Cognizant as the SVP and Business Unit Head for life sciences. Wipro further accuses Haque of sharing confidential files from his personal Gmail account, breaching his employment contract, according to the report.

The legal actions taken by Wipro against both its former CFO and SVP reflect the escalating tensions and legal complexities within the IT industry, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the ongoing legal saga. The developments in these cases will undoubtedly be closely monitored as they unfold.

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