Former JPMorgan banker Chirayu Rana walked into a New York Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday without a lawyer after his attorney quit the case just hours before proceedings were set to begin.
According to New York Post, attorney Daniel Kaiser filed papers seeking to be "discharged" as Rana's lawyer mere hours before the two were due to appear in New York Supreme Court.
The filing revealed that Rana had no replacement lawyer lined up, meaning he would represent himself, known legally as appearing "pro se", until he secures new counsel. The judge, however, rejected Kaiser's bid to withdraw, calling it improper given the timing, Bloomberg Law reported.
The hearing itself was centred on Rana's bid to keep his identity shielded from the public record, seeking to proceed under the pseudonym "John Doe" in court filings.
His case, which drew widespread attention after being filed on April 27, 2026, in New York County Supreme Court, accuses JPMorgan executive director Lorna Hajdini, 37, of drugging him, subjecting him to racial abuse and coercing him into what the lawsuit describes as non-consensual sexual acts over a period of months — allegations Hajdini has categorically denied.
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She has countersued Rana for defamation, calling the accusations entirely fabricated and driven by a desire for financial gain, with her lawyers accusing him of "peddling lies."
JPMorgan Chase, also named in the suit, has said the claims have no merit. The bank had reportedly offered Rana a $1 million settlement in March 2026, which he declined — instead demanding $11.75 million.
Kaiser is a prominent attorney who previously represented accusers of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. His abrupt departure, without a detailed public explanation, has added fresh uncertainty to a case that has gripped Wall Street since it was first filed.
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