Wipro chief Premji sued over 'dating allowance'

A court in Kanpur has issued a notice to Wipro chairman Azim Premji after the wife of one of the company's employees alleged her husband had left her because the firm paid him a 'dating allowance.'

The chief metropolitan magistrate issued the notice to Premji and Wipro vice president Pratik Kumar in connection with a case filed by Tripti Nigam, a resident of Gwaltoli area, under the new Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005.

Tripti's husband Gaurav and the Wipro officials were asked by the court to submit their replies by November 29. Tripti had initially filed a case of domestic violence against her in-laws and the chief metropolitan magistrate's court had fixed November 25 as the date for submission of replies by Gaurav and his parents.

Advocate Nandlal Jaiswal, who represented Tripti, said she filed a fresh case in the same court on Wednesday and made Premji and Pratik Kumar parties to the matter as her husband had allegedly left her because of a 'dating allowance' paid to him by Wipro. Tripti alleged this allowance had changed her husband's behaviour towards her.

Meanwhile, Wipro has said that it does not have a 'dating allowance in any form.'

'We would like to categorically state that we do not have a dating allowance in any form and hence cannot elaborate on this alleged issue,' a statement issued by the Bangalore-based software company said.

'We have no formal intimation on this. In line with our policy, we will take appropriate action based on the judgment of the case,' it said.