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

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

Karthik SG, founder of A1 Sports World, said the decision followed an incident involving a former employee whom he accused of inappropriate behaviour towards female colleagues.

In a post on X on September 22, Karthik wrote, “We will not hire any male candidates in our company who come from these 4 states in North India…” He listed Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

READ THIS: 'Rent a Garba partner' ads flood social media ahead of Navratri; Ahmedabad cops issue warning over viral posts

He added that the company already had a female employee from Rajasthan and claimed that she supported the decision.

The post quickly attracted reactions online, with users debating whether individual employee behaviour should be linked to a person's state of origin. Karthik defended his decision when criticised, writing, “Buddy my company my rules…” and telling one critic not to advise him on how to run his company.

DON'T MISS: Who is Rajesh Rawani? Jharkhand truck driver behind 'R Rajesh Vlogs' and luxury truck

CEO explains what led to the decision

In a follow-up post, Karthik provided more context. According to his account, the controversy began around two weeks earlier when an employee from one of the four states was dismissed.

He alleged that the employee had been warned twice but continued behaving abusively towards female employees. Karthik further alleged that the employee had tried to force himself on one woman. These are allegations made by Karthik in his social media post.

Karthik questioned whether people displaying what he described as such an “ideology and mindset” should be given employment opportunities.

He also highlighted the nature of his workplace, saying, “We work with quite young kids.”

ALSO READ: ‘Trash in India is everywhere’: Foreigner's viral post questions India’s littering habit

‘We believe in equal opportunity’

Karthik said his company has 32 employees, including 14 women. He claimed that 20 employees were from other states and 12 of those were from outside South India.

Responding to criticism that the decision amounted to generalisation, he said the company believed in equal opportunity regardless of gender, caste or religion. He also referred to employees belonging to different religious backgrounds, including Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Buddhist communities.

The entrepreneur further argued that his decision was influenced by what he described as concerns over safety and workplace behaviour.