BharatPe co-founder and managing director Ashneer Grover has stepped down the company and its board, amidst the ongoing controversy following an audio clip surfaced online where he allegedly abused a Kotak Mahindra Bank employee.

In an email sent to the fintech’s board, Grover said he had been ‘vilified’ and treated in the ‘most disrespectful manner’ since the beginning of the year.

“I write this with a heavy heart as today I am being forced to bid adieu to a company of which I am a founder. I say with my head held high that today this company stands as a leader in the fintech world. Since the beginning of 2022, unfortunately, I’ve been embroiled in baseless and targeted attacks on me and my family by a few individuals who are ready not only to harm me and my reputation but also harm the reputation of the company, which ostensibly they are trying to protect,” the fintench unicorn founder has written in his resignation letter.

He added: “I am now wasting myself fighting a long, lonely battle against my own investors and management. Unfortunately, in this battle, the management has lost of what is actually at stake – BharatPe.”

Meanwhile, Grover failed to get an emergency relief from the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), allowing an investigation on alleged financial wrongdoings and governance lapses at the fintech to continue.

Earlier, he had filed an arbitration plea to stop a probe into alleged financial irregularities in the company. Grover had reportedly sought indemnity from any future action against him in his ongoing settlement talks with the company and its shareholders.

In January, Grover went on a voluntary leave of absence till March-end, and the BhartPe board had accepted his decision. The company said chief executive Suhail Sameer will continue to lead the management team.