Ola Electric CEO named in police probe after engineer's death in Bengaluru

Authorities investigate claims of workplace harassment following 38-yr-old employee's apparent suicide

The Bengaluru police have registered a case against Ola Electric founder Bhavish Aggarwal along with senior company officials after a 38-year-old employee was found dead in an apparent case of suicide. Authorities say the individual left a note accusing members of the management of workplace harassment, prompting a formal investigation.

 

The deceased, K Aravind, an engineer employed at Ola Electric, was a resident of Chikkalasandra in Bengaluru. He reportedly died by suicide on September 28. While the case was formally registered on October 6, it became publicly known on Monday.

 

Police have named several individuals in the First Information Report (FIR), including Ola Electric chief executive officer (CEO) Bhavish Aggarwal and Subrath Kumar Das, who heads the company’s Vehicle Homologations and Regulations division. The FIR reportedly invokes Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to abetment of suicide. Aravind had been working with the company since 2022 as a homologation engineer.

 

 

A spokesperson for Ola Electric said the company has challenged the registration of the FIR before the Karnataka High Court, and protective orders have been passed in favour of the company and its officials.

 

"We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of our colleague, Aravind, and our thoughts remain with his family during this difficult time. Aravind had been associated with Ola Electric for over three and a half years, and was based at our headquarters in Bangalore,” said the spokesperson. “During his tenure, Aravind never raised any complaint or grievance regarding his employment or any harassment. His role also did not involve any direct interaction with the company’s top management, including the promoter,” the spokesperson added.

 

In order to provide immediate support to the family, the spokesperson said the company promptly facilitated the full and final settlement to his bank account. “Ola Electric is fully cooperating with the authorities in their ongoing investigation and remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive workplace for all employees,” said the spokesperson.

 

According to a police complaint filed by Ashwin Kannan, the elder brother of the deceased, Aravind left behind a 28-page note prior to his death. The FIR reportedly says that ₹17.46 lakh was transferred to Aravind’s bank account two days after his passing.

 

Aravind has been instrumental at Ola Electric, focusing on homologation — a critical aspect of the automotive industry that involves ensuring vehicles meet regulatory standards for safety, emissions, and technical specifications. This role likely encompassed working closely with agencies for certification, making sure that Ola’s electric two-wheelers comply with government norms before they can be launched in the market.

 

In May this year, a young techie of Krutrim, the artificial intelligence (AI) unit of Ola, committed suicide, raising questions over the company’s work culture, after allegations of intense work pressure and verbal abuse against employees surfaced in a viral social media post. Nikhil Somwanshi, who was a recent graduate of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and had joined Krutrim less than a year ago, allegedly died by suicide on May 8. The incident gained widespread attention after a post by an anonymous user on social media platform Reddit went viral, describing the environment at the company as “traumatic”, especially for freshers.