Bengaluru CEO says no male hires from UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP; cites alleged harassment by former employee

A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur’s post saying his company would not hire male candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh has triggered a debate online over workplace hiring, regional bias and individual accountability.

A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur has triggered a debate on social media after saying his company would not hire male candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

In a post on X, Karthik SG , founder of A1 Sports World wrote, “Im sorry for this...

But today we have made it very clear after lengthy discussion and quarrel...

We will not hire any male candidates in our company who come from these 4 states in north india...

Uttar Pradesh.

Rajasthan.

Bihar.

Madhya Pradesh.

We do have 1 Rajasthani already working for us. She has 100% supposed this.”

The post drew sharply divided reactions, with some users questioning the decision while others expressed support for it.

‘My company my rules’: CEO responds to criticism

One user called the decision “extremely ignorant, unprofessional and bigoted”, arguing that employees should be assessed on competence and, where relevant, individual conduct rather than their state of origin.

Responding to the criticism, Karthik wrote, “Buddy my company my rules, when you have your u set it...

Dont give me gyan on how i need to run my company.”

Another user backed Karthik, writing, “Great stand Kathik. We need more and more men like you. You shouldn’t be sorry at all. Gobar belt deserves this!”

A third user questioned whether such a policy could be justified by crime statistics, writing, “Your organisation your rules but if you just look at the current affairs and news, tell me which states don’t have crimes against women?

By that logic you have to hire from foreign countries only as all states from India, you will find one or other case of such things."

CEO cites alleged employee misconduct

In a subsequent post, Karthik offered additional context for his decision. He said the issue began after an employee from one of the four states was fired following allegations of abusive behaviour towards female employees.

"Let me get this right again...

This mess started 2 weeks ago when an employee from one of the aforementioned mentioned state was fired, despite giving him warning 2wice he was still abusive to female employees, and he was forcing himself on one of them… We work with quite young kids… Do you think men with these ideology and mindset even deserve opportunity?"

Karthik also said his company has 32 employees, including 14 women, and that 20 employees come from other states, including 12 from non-South Indian states.

Jamui case adds to online debate

The discussion comes amid renewed attention on the safety of women and minors after a video from Jamui, Bihar, allegedly showing a minor girl and her male companion being harassed by a group of people went viral.

Police have arrested multiple accused in the case. The main accused, identified as Nandan Yadav, was shot in the leg during a police encounter on Tuesday, according to police sources.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.

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