A former project coordinator at Skyesports has levelled detailed accusations of sexual harassment, intimidation, and alleged HR inaction against several senior executives of the Chennai-based tournament organiser.

In a lengthy post, ex-Skyesports employee Mrinal “Jollies” Baranwal recounts multiple alleged incidents she says occurred between April and October 2024. The complaint was followed by multiple comments made by former employees, who reiterated Mrinal’s statements.

• Pressure during business travel: Baranwal alleges that CEO Shiva Nandy invited himself to her hotel room in Mumbai, urged her to drink alcohol, and later expressed displeasure when she declined.
• Unwanted physical contact & personal questions: She claims Nandy repeatedly touched her shoulders and head during informal beach meetings and allegedly probed her marital plans, saying Skyesports wanted to “groom” her as the “face” of the company.
• Suggestive remarks on dress: Head of Esports Vijay Krishnan allegedly advised her, “Don’t pack loose clothes, if you know what I mean,” ahead of the same trip.
• Non-consensual photograph: Baranwal alleges that during a Dussehra puja, she caught Krishnan scrolling to an unsolicited, rear-angle photo of her taken that day without her knowledge.
• HR inaction: After raising concerns with the HR team, Baranwal claims she received only a “small PoSH seminar” from which the named executives were absent; subsequent follow-ups allegedly went unanswered for five to six months.

Baranwal published WhatsApp screenshots backing several of these claims, including alleged 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.

Alexa Reiterates Similar Harassment from Skyesports Executives

Following Mrinal public allegations, another former Skyesports employee, Alexa, shared her experience on X, echoing similar concerns. Alexa revealed that she worked remotely at Skyesports and believed that working from home shielded her from much of the misconduct that Sharma described.

However, she recounted an incident during a company event in Bangalore where Vijay Krishnan allegedly invited her to dinner, during which he became inappropriately touchy and, at one point, forcibly grabbed her hand when she froze in discomfort.

“This was it. I didn’t know how to react,” Alexa wrote.

She further stated that in the months that followed, she was given an ultimatum: either relocate to Chennai for an in-office role or resign. She chose to resign. “Skyesports is the worst place to work at,” she concluded, urging those still employed there to reflect on their environment.

Alexa’s account adds weight to the pattern of allegations surfacing around Skyesports’ internal culture, specifically concerning the behavior of senior leadership and the lack of structural support for female employees.

In Mrinal’s live stream post her expose, she revealed that HR continued to be in touch at the time of complaint, but failed to take any substantial action. The HR only contacted her once she teased about going public yesterday on her X account, which is about six months after the official complaint.

She further mentions, how these “bunch of married men” continue to harass women with no repercussions and whatsoever. And that she has a lot of “secrets” about the company’s operations that would come out in the open should anyone forces her.

Scout speaks against the harrassment

Soon after the news broke out, top streamer Tanmay ‘Scout’ Singh, commented on the matter and expressed his displeasure in growing incidents of harassments in the industry. At the time of writing this article, her live stream was viewed by over 10,000 people.

Just Last week, the esports industry in India was rocked when one of the top athletes, was accused of harassing and inappropriate behavior towards a minor.

Under India’s PoSH Act, 2013, employers are required to maintain an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and resolve sexual harassment complaints within 90 days.

Skyesports has long positioned itself as a pioneer in India’s esports ecosystem. These recent testimonies, however, raise serious questions about leadership ethics and internal culture. TalkEsport has reached out to SkyEsports for an official comment, and we will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

If you or someone you know has a relevant account to share, you can reach our editorial team at contact [@] talkesport[.]com

Update: Skyesports CEO Shiva Nandy Issues Formal Response

On 20th April, Shiva Nandy, CEO and founder of Skyesports, issued a detailed public statement responding to the allegations made by Mrinal, Alexa, and another ex-employee named Ananya. His response, published via a PDF attached to a post on X (formerly Twitter), addresses each accusation while strongly denying any intent of misconduct.

In his statement, Nandy characterizes the allegations as “unfounded and malicious,” expressing disappointment over what he calls a “social media trial.” He adds that internal discussions with HR had already taken place before the posts went public, and that Skyesports has since conducted PoSH training sessions for its staff.

Key highlights from his response include:

• On the alleged room-sharing with a female colleague: Nandy states that the room listing incident was due to a hotel logistics issue, denying any inappropriate relationship and calling the accusation defamatory to both parties involved.
• On the alcohol and hotel-room incident: He admits to having a drink with Mrinal in her hotel room but maintains it was a mutually agreed informal meeting, stating she did not indicate any discomfort during or after.
• On touching her during a beach outing: Nandy claims he was consoling Mrinal after a professional setback and says his actions were “brotherly” in nature, with no sexual intent. He adds that after Mrinal voiced discomfort, he limited all future interaction to professional matters only.
• On Alexa’s allegations: He says Alexa never reported any harassment during her employment or exit process, calling her social media post “an afterthought or motivated.”
• On the broader work culture: Nandy acknowledges the company’s lack of formal HR structure, attributing it to the startup culture of esports. He expresses regret and says the situation has made him realize the need to evolve professionally: “Maybe this was my oversight… but at no time have I harassed, intimidated, or propositioned anyone.”

The CEO concluded by reaffirming his commitment to transparency and pledged to cooperate with any scrutiny from partners, media, or internal stakeholders. He also released internal performance evaluations and documents concerning the complainants in annexures to his statement.