Startup faces online backlash after revoking ₹22 LPA offer to candidate over hate speech
Mumbai: Jobbie, a Mumbai-based startup has faced online backlash and trolling after it revoked a high-paying job offer over the candidate’s alleged hate speech on LinkedIn. The platform, which had hoped to spark a conversation around responsibility and decency in online spaces, is now grappling with mass reporting, fake reviews, and targeted harassment.
Mohammed Ahmed Bhati, founder of Jobbie, announced in an Linked in post last week that his team rejected an offer worth ₹22 lakh per annum after discovering public remarks by the candidate that were “derogatory towards religious communities.” The post, which Bhati says was intended to highlight how online hate can carry real-world consequences, went viral and was widely covered by media.
But what followed, Bhati claims, was an aggressive backlash. In a recent Reddit post allegedly written by Bhati, he revealed that his verified LinkedIn profile was mass reported and subsequently taken down. Jobbie’s website was allegedly offline for nearly 15 hours, its Google rating plummeted from 4.8 to 3.4 due to coordinated fake reviews, and some employees were harassed over the founder’s religious identity.
Bhati stressed that his post did not mention any community or individual by name. “People simply judged that I am Muslim, assumed the other person must be Hindu, and concluded I took away someone’s offer based on religion,” he wrote. He also noted that some news outlets framed the story through a religious lens, despite his post’s stated goal of promoting digital civility.
The startup’s rejection email had stated that the candidate’s recent LinkedIn activity included remarks that could deeply hurt the sentiments of certain communities. Bhati maintains that the company's decision was rooted in principle: “No matter how skilled someone is, respect and basic decency matter to us more. Talent gets you in the door. Values decide if you stay.”
What began as an attempt to set a standard for respectful conduct in the workplace has now turned into a test of resilience for the startup itself. As of now, Bhati’s LinkedIn account remains restricted, even after re-verification. “The irony is that the very account trying to bring communal harmony was taken down for communal violations,” he wrote.
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ACP arrested in Mumbai for obscene act in front of nine-year-old girl; sent to judicial custody
Mumbai: An assistant commissioner of police was arrested by Worli Police in Central Mumbai under charge of flashing his private parts before a nine-year-old girl.
The arrested officer is reportedly under judicial custody, at present, according to a report by The Times of India.
The incident occurred in a garden on April 23, a police officer has said, adding that they arrested the ACP soon after the complaint was filed. So far, only one party has filed a complaint against the senior officer, the source has informed.
The senior officer has been charged with molestation and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police officer said.
Further investigation of the case is underway.
