NOIDA: Paytm has denied that its former vice-president Sonia Dhawan, one of the prime accused in an extortion bid against its founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, is rejoining the company.A company spokesperson told TOI on Thursday that “no accused person is joining the company till the matter is settled in court”.This comes after multiple news reports said Dhawan and the Paytm management were heading for a patch-up. According to reports that could not be verified immediately, Dhawan was in talks with Paytm over her possible return and a new role in the company. Asked about an alleged meeting between the two parties on Tuesday, the company spokesperson denied having any such information.Sources, however, confirmed that discussions were held between the two parties and a window for reconciliation was open.“It was always a personal dispute rather than a professional matter. Most of the company employees are also confused. However, the company had earlier said that if a person was innocent, he or she would always be supported,” a source told TOI.Dhawan came out of jail after being granted bail by the Allahabad High Court this month.Her mother and sister did not respond to queries and her lawyer Satish Kumar told TOI that he was not aware of any such matter.Any agreement between the two parties would require a formal withdrawal of the court case against all four accused — Sonia Dhawan, her husband Roopak Jain, Devender Singh and Rohit Chomal — or any one of them after a court settlement.Since the Sector 20 police has already filed a chargesheet against the four, any request to withdraw the case will be taken up by the court that will decide whether to dispose of the case or continue the hearings related to it. Even if Paytm withdraws the case, the court can take suo motu cognisance of the case, depending on its merits. Gautam Budh Nagar police, which has filed the chargesheet against Dhawan and the three others, is waiting for the next court hearing on April 2 for official confirmation. “A chargesheet has been filed against the four accused and any decision on the case will be taken by the court during the hearing,” said Rajvir Chauhan, SHO, Sector 20 police station.The chargesheet was filed by the then investigation officer and former SHO of Sector 20 police station, Manoj Pant, who was arrested after he and three journalists were caught taking a bribe of Rs eight lakh from a call centre owner allegedly on the promise of removing his name from an FIR registered against the call centre officials.

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