Online marketplace ShopClues is in the news for all the wrong reasons: Two co-founders of the six-year-old Gurugram-based start-up, Sandeep Aggarwal and his wife Radhika, are engaged in an ugly spat that also involves the third co-founder, Sanjay Sethi.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (March 12) laden with frustration, ridicule and anger, Sandeep lashed out at his wife, and accused her, among other things, of having an "illicit affair" with Sanjay Sethi and usurping powers.
"...illicit love affair with once own boss while husband is away dealing with biggest family crisis...intentionally and deliberately kicking out other founding team members by collaborating with once illicit love affair partner."
The reference "while husband is away" apparently refers to Sandeep working in the US in 2011, the year he started ShopClues. However, things turned sour for him as he was accused of insider trading in 2013 while working as an analyst with an investment bank.
The post titled "Things people do to be famous and faking to be way too cooler than they actually are!!! Here are some examples:" also accused Radhika of usurping power and depriving him of voting rights in the firm.
"fraudulently changing once husband, mentor, best friend and guide's voting rights," read one of the 12 accusations against her, which she has rebutted in a statement.
"I am shocked by unfounded and baseless allegations being made. In the interest of privacy of my family, I will not be commenting on any personal matters, however, ShopClues was always a team effort and it has become a force to reckon with. I want to focus my time and energy to do what I owe to my employees, my investors, my country and myself," the Times of India quoted Radhika as saying.
An update on Tracxn says that ShopClues has raised $231 million from investors that include Nexus Venture Partners, Tiger Global Management, Singapore government's GIC and Helion Venture Partners.
A profile update of ShopClues issued in January this year said that the start-up has 1,000 employees and is the Indian subsidiary of Clues Network Inc.
In addition to ShopClues, Sandeep also co-founded Droom, an online marketplace to buy and sell used automobiles, in 2014. The start-up has raised $45 million from investors that include Digital Garage, Beenos and Lightbox Ventures.
Here is the full text of Sandeep's post on Facebook:
Things people do to be famous and faking to be way too cooler than they actually are!!! Here are some examples:
1) Entry level business analyst job with 18 months of work experience + 12 months of long term disability and seeing your junior becoming your boss = quality work experience in a famous retailer in USA
2) 2-3 hour long classes and $550 in total fee = a degree from Stanford
3) 8 weeks in a famous investment bank in their least prestigious sales department as an intern = rich Wall Street experience in New York City
4) Coming to India with your kids for summer break and living with once parents = starting India office
5) Reluctantly assisting your husband and not knowing how, when and where to assist = self proclaimed founder of a billion dollar company
6) fraudulently changing once husband, mentor, best friend and guide's voting rights = honest and simple person
7) illicit love affair with once own boss while husband is away dealing with biggest family crisis = pure, dedicated and supportive wife
8) 18 months of business analyst job, two 3-4 months long attempts due to guidance and monetary support from husband, staying home for 9 years = 14 years of rich and illustrious work experience
9) stay home mom for 6 years and prior to that only 18 months as entry level business analyst and straight away getting VP job from once husband = Merit, hard work, exemplary leadership and dedicated career
10) Title of VP but husband doing all the work = smart, intelligent and highly accomplished individual
11) intentionally and deliberately kicking out other founding team members by collaborating with once illicit love affair partner = calling them founders now
12). Changing web history, tempering with Wikipedia and lying in the press = my illicit love affair partner and I founded the company and my husband also joined the company
These are the lies, gross exaggerations and cheap attempts to mislead the whole world, yourself and generations to come!!
Sick and tired of people being SO greedy and useless!!!
But guess, these people are not worth it...stay positive and try and not look back.
But come on world, do not have double standards!!
