Lorna Hajdini, an executive director in JPMorgan Chase’s leveraged finance division, filed a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday in New York State Supreme Court against Chirayu Rana, the man who previously accused her of sexual misconduct. The lawsuit alleges that Rana orchestrated a calculated, months-long scheme to destroy Hajdini’s reputation and career through fabricated claims, with the ultimate goal of financial extortion.
"We fully support Lorna and her right to defend herself and protect her reputation. As we have said from the outset, we don’t believe the allegations against her or the firm have merit." — JPMorgan Spokesperson
Rana’s initial complaint, filed under the anonymizing pseudonym "John Doe," leveled sensational accusations against Hajdini. He claimed she had drugged him, subjected him to repeated nonconsensual sex acts, and used racial slurs against him and his partner. These allegations garnered significant attention, casting a shadow over Hajdini’s professional life.
However, Hajdini’s legal team now asserts that Rana’s original complaint was "the culmination of a months-long campaign to smear Ms. Hajdini in the workplace, to third parties, the press, and now this court with fabricated assertions." The lawsuit unequivocally states that Hajdini "categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of unlawful conduct" made by Rana. According to her attorneys, the true motive behind Rana’s actions was not justice but rather to use Hajdini’s damaged reputation "for leverage to extort millions of dollars" from both her and JPMorgan. Sources cited by The New York Post indicated that Rana had sought a settlement "north of $20 million" from the bank, reportedly rejecting a counteroffer of $1 million before proceeding with his initial lawsuit.
JPMorgan Chase launched an internal investigation into Rana’s claims and found no evidence to support them. While other employees cooperated with the bank’s review, Rana reportedly declined to participate or produce any supporting documentation. Internal human resources records obtained by The Post further revealed that Hajdini held no authority over Rana’s salary or career advancement, as they did not share a management chain and reported to entirely separate directors. This detail undermines any potential claim of workplace power imbalance in the alleged misconduct.
Hajdini’s new lawsuit introduces a significant additional allegation: that Rana had employed a nearly identical strategy at a previous employer. The court filing states that Rana "made up eerily similar fabricated allegations of sexual misconduct against a supervisor at a prior place of employment." Chatbot transcripts from 2024, attributed to Rana, reportedly referenced a workplace incident at Morgan Stanley—four years before his tenure at JPMorgan—and described the alleged perpetrator using a male pronoun. The Post had not previously been able to independently verify this specific claim.
JPMorgan has publicly thrown its full weight behind Hajdini. A bank spokesman stated, "We fully support Lorna and her right to defend herself and protect her reputation. As we have said from the outset, we don’t believe the allegations against her or the firm have merit." Throughout the ordeal, Hajdini, a 15-year JPMorgan veteran and NYU Stern School of Business graduate, has continued to work. She also volunteers with a nonprofit supporting low-income college hopefuls and is pursuing sommelier certification in her personal time. Her attorneys maintain she never visited several locations where Rana claimed assaults took place and never engaged in any inappropriate conduct with him.
In stark contrast to Hajdini’s continued employment, Rana’s professional life has reportedly collapsed. An alumnus of Rutgers University with previous stints at Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, Houlihan Lokey, the Carlyle Group, and MidCap Financial, Rana joined JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team in the spring of 2024. Insiders at MidCap Financial, an Apollo Global Management affiliate, suggested he was "managed out" after just six months. He departed his most recent position at investment firm Bregal Sagemount on April 2, with company insiders noting he had failed to make an impression on leadership. A firm representative confirmed only that "he is no longer an employee," though his biography remained visible on the company’s website. He filed his original lawsuit just 26 days after leaving Bregal Sagemount.
Rana’s credibility faced another blow when The Post reported he had told JPMorgan supervisors that his father had passed away, a claim that allowed him to secure bereavement and other leave arrangements spanning from fall 2024 through May of last year. A Post reporter later located Chaitanya Rana "very much alive" at his Fairfax, Virginia, home, where the family patriarch described his son as "a good guy."
Hajdini’s legal filing concludes by stating, "Ms. Hajdini seeks to vindicate her name, mitigate the substantial damage inflicted upon her, and hold plaintiff accountable for his depraved and unlawful conduct." Rana’s attorney, Daniel J. Kaiser, has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the new defamation lawsuit. The case is expected to shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the initial allegations and the subsequent counter-claims, with significant implications for both parties involved.
