Anurag Bajpayee, CEO of Indian-American clean water venture Gradiant, was arrested in the U.S. and charged with alleged participation in a high-end prostitution ring. Bajpayee was named by Boston-area court documents as having been one of a number of men who reportedly paid high amounts of money to use escorts early this year, according to reports from the New York Post.
Prosecutors claim Bajpayee was part of a high-paying client circle that included public officials, lawyers, doctors, and government contractors. These men are alleged to have spent up to $600 per hour for encounters, mostly with Asian women believed to be victims of sex trafficking.
Company Stands by Its CEO
Despite some internal calls for his resignation, Gradiant has expressed its support for Bajpayee. In a public statement, the company said, “We believe in the legal system and expect this will right itself favorably in good time. This having no relation thereto, Gradiant will persistently keep searching for technological innovation excellence and continually aim toward our vision for a vision for a water quality without restrictions in society.”
Who Is Anurag Bajpayee?
Anurag Bajpayee founded Gradiant, a Boston-based startup with a focus on cutting-edge water and wastewater treatment technologies. Founded in 2013 as a spinout of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the company has developed into a global clean tech giant worth over $1 billion today.
Gradiant offers water solutions to industries across sectors such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, mining, and food processing, with more than 2,500 facilities spread across over 25 countries.
Anurag Bajpayee’s Professional Background
Bajpayee graduated from La Martiniere College in Lucknow and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2006. He then shifted to MIT, where he earned his Master of Science in 2008 and PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2012.
His PhD work was on water purification and desalination and he innovated a membraneless desalination process. Scientific American identified his innovation as one of the “Top 10 World-Changing Ideas.