A high-profile brothel racket near Harvard University has come under investigation, drawing attention to Anurag Bajpayee, the Indian-American CEO of water tech firm Gradiant.
An MIT-trained mechanical engineer and co-founder of Gradiant, Bajpayee, once featured in Scientific American's Top 10 World-Changing Ideas, reported The Wall Street Journal.
He is alleged to have paid for sex multiple times at the brothel, which is now under investigation. The ring allegedly catered to doctors, corporate leaders, and public officials, the report added.
Biotech executives, doctors, lawyers, and politicians eager to access an exclusive establishment near Harvard University submitted personal details like IDs, work badges, and references.
Dozens of prominent men from the Boston area, who lost their battle for anonymity, are facing misdemeanour charges, sparking a major public backlash.
Brothel charged $600 per hour
The report added that the brothel charged up to $600 per hour in luxury apartments. The collected personal information is now part of criminal hearings exposing the world of upscale sex work.
Gradiant expressed confidence in the justice system, with representative Felix Wang stating that the company remains focused on its mission to ensure clean water for all.
“We believe in the justice system and are confident that this will resolve favorably in due course,” the publication quoted Gradiant representative Felix Wang as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“We believe in the justice system and are confident that this will resolve favorably in due course,” the publication quoted Gradiant representative Felix Wang as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“Unrelated to this, Gradiant will continue to pursue excellence in technological innovation and to strive towards our mission to ensure clean water for all society,” added Wang.
Amid growing controversy, Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner, one of the alleged sex buyers, faces pressure to resign and has been stripped of his committee roles.
Several others have quietly resigned from high-profile positions in business and medicine. Many have avoided the highly publicised “Cambridge Brothel Hearings,” where more than 30 names have been disclosed so far.
Traditionally, police focus on targeting sex traffickers and workers, rather than naming buyers. However, in this case, prosecutors’ intent to target buyers, legal action by media outlets, and the brothel’s detailed customer records have thrust the clientele into the public eye, the report added.