Mumbai: Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick on Tuesday broke down in an open meeting with employees who insisted him to clarify recent controversy of sexual harassment at the company.

Bloomberg reported that Kalanick was confronted by Uber staff with tough questions over sexual harassment charges levelled by a former employee Susan Fowler.

CEO of the world's number one app-based taxi provider apologised to the Uber staff for "a lack of diversity in the company's workforce and for not properly responding to employee complaints,".

Fowler had worked with the ride-hailing app as an engineer from November 2015 to December 2016 during which she was pursued by her manager for sexual favours.

On Sunday in her blog post, Fowler narrated the episode and alleged how her human resources department hushed up the matter as, according to her, the manager concerned was a "high performer".

On Monday Uber hired former US Attorney General Eric Holder and his partner Tammy Albarrán  at the law firm Covington & Burling for conducting a review of the charges.

Holder, who led the Department of Justice from 2009 to 2015, and Albarrán will investigate sexual harassment claims against a former Uber manager, Russia Today reported.