Gradiant CEO Anurag Bajpayee Arrested In Boston Brothel Probe

Photo: MIT

India-West News Desk

BOSTON, MA – Anurag Bajpayee, CEO of global water technology company Gradiant and a recognized leader in sustainable innovation, has been arrested in connection with an alleged high-end brothel network that authorities say exploited women through sex trafficking.

Bajpayee is among dozens of individuals charged in the wide-ranging investigation centered around luxury apartment-based brothels operating in Cambridge, Watertown, and the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Those arrested — including doctors, lawyers, and Cambridge city councillor Paul Toner — are accused of paying hundreds of dollars per hour for sex and a so-called “girlfriend experience” involving primarily Asian women. According to law enforcement, the women were part of a trafficking scheme operating behind the facade of an escort service.

The news has shocked both the tech and business communities, where Bajpayee is known for pioneering water treatment technologies and for building Gradiant into a billion-dollar enterprise.

Under his leadership, the company has evolved from a small MIT spin-off to a global player in the water industry, with operations spanning North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. Gradiant provides end-to-end water solutions for industries such as oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, and power generation.

Bajpayee, originally from Lucknow, attended La Martiniere College before earning a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Missouri. He later received both his master’s and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where his doctoral research on industrial desalination and water reuse was later named one of Scientific American’s “Top 10 World-Changing Ideas.”

His work also earned him a spot on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in the Energy category, where he was lauded for his role in advancing sustainable water technologies. As CEO, Bajpayee has led Gradiant through multiple successful funding rounds, helping the company expand its R&D efforts and global footprint.

Gradiant has publicly backed its CEO. In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, the company said, “We believe in the justice system and are confident that this will resolve favorably in due course. 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.”

Bajpayee’s arrest adds a stunning new chapter to what had been a celebrated career in climate technology and entrepreneurship. Legal proceedings are expected to follow in the coming weeks, as investigations into the trafficking network continue.