Bangalore: IT major iGATE Global Solutions on October 5 dismissed as "without foundation" allegation of sexual harassment made against former Infosys director and Quintant Services CEO Phaneesh Murthy in a lawsuit filed in a US court by a former Infosys woman employee.

"Phaneesh had made us aware of the possibility of this development, and we have done our due diligence and believe the allegations to be without foundation. We have complete confidence in Phaneesh," iGATE Global Solutions Chairman Sunil Wadhwani said in a statement in Bangalore.

Infosys on October 4 said it has "learned" that a former employee Jennifer Griffith had filed a lawsuit against the company and Phaneesh in the Superior Court of California, Alameda County, and it "generally alleges that Phaneesh Murthy sexually harassed Griffith while she was employed at Infosys.

"The lawsuit has not yet been served on Murthy", iGATE said, adding that Griffith left Infosys weeks after Murthy's resignation from the company in July 2002 following the first sexual harassment law suit filed against him by Reka Maximovich, also a former Infosys employee.

"However, it is Murthy's opinion and belief that the allegations are "baseless" and it is the most "blatant example" of taking advantage of the public news of a prior settlement," it said.

Murthy took over as CEO of the Bangalore-based Quintant after iGATE picked up majority stake in July 2003.

Infosys and Murthy had reached an USD three million out-of- court settlement with Reka Maximovitch in April 2003.

PTI