Ola Electric Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Engineer’s Suicide Allegations Surface
A Bengaluru engineer’s suicide has led to an FIR against Ola Electric founder Bhavish Aggarwal and others, raising workplace harassment and corporate accountability questions.
A Second Tragedy Shadows Ola Group
In another disturbing development for Ola Group, a second employee suicide has been reported within six months. A 38-year-old engineer at Ola Electric, the company’s electric two-wheeler arm, allegedly took his own life, leaving behind a note accusing company executives including founder Bhavish Aggarwal of workplace harassment and unpaid dues.
The incident, coming months after a similar case at Ola’s AI unit Krutrim, has reignited scrutiny over the company’s internal work culture and mental health practices.
The Allegations and Investigation
According to Bengaluru police, a case has been registered against Aggarwal and senior Ola Electric officials after the death of K. Aravind, a homologation engineer employed by the company. The complaint, filed by Aravind’s brother Ashwin Kannan, alleges that persistent workplace harassment and withheld payments pushed the engineer to the brink.
On September 28, Aravind was found unresponsive in his Chikkalasandra apartment after consuming poison. Despite efforts to save him at Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
A 28-page handwritten note discovered at his residence reportedly detailed his struggles, citing sustained pressure from superiors and financial stress due to unpaid salary and allowances. In the note, he named Subrat Kumar Das, Ola’s head of homologation engineering, along with Aggarwal and other senior executives, as contributors to his distress.
Complaint Details and Financial Discrepancies
Aravind’s family expressed further concern over a ₹17.46 lakh payment deposited into his account two days after his death, allegedly representing salary dues. The timing, according to the family, appeared suspicious. When questioned, company representatives reportedly gave inconsistent explanations, fueling doubts about possible internal mismanagement or an attempted cover-up.
Following the complaint, the Subramanyapura Police registered an FIR on October 6 under Sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigations into the allegations are ongoing.
Ola Electric’s Response: Denial and Legal Action
Ola Electric has strongly denied the accusations, calling the situation “deeply unfortunate” while asserting that the company had no role in the incident.
In an official statement shared with Hindustan Times, the company said it has challenged the FIR in the Karnataka High Court and obtained protective orders for its officials.
“We are deeply saddened by the untimely demise of our colleague, Aravind. Our thoughts remain with his family during this difficult time,” an Ola Electric spokesperson said.
The company also noted that Aravind had been with Ola Electric for over three and a half years and had never raised formal complaints of harassment or mistreatment. The statement emphasized that his role did not involve direct interaction with top management, including the promoter.
Ola Electric claimed it processed Aravind’s full and final settlement promptly “to provide immediate financial support to his family” and reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with authorities and maintaining a “safe, respectful, and supportive workplace.”
A Pattern of Workplace Concerns
This is the second reported suicide linked to Ola Group this year. In May 2025, an employee from Ola Krutrim, the company’s AI-focused subsidiary, was found dead by suicide.
At the time, online discussions, including Reddit posts, alleged that the individual had faced “extreme work pressure” and verbal mistreatment from superiors. The company had dismissed such claims, clarifying that the employee had been on personal leave and had requested additional time off before the tragedy occurred.
However, those posts described a toxic work culture where new recruits were overloaded with responsibilities and subjected to aggressive management styles. One post singled out a supervisor, accusing him of berating subordinates and failing to deliver results despite months in leadership.
Market Impact and Public Reaction
News of Aravind’s death and the subsequent FIR has sparked a wider debate on mental health in India’s tech and startup ecosystem where high-pressure environments often collide with minimal mental health safeguards.
On Monday, Ola Electric’s stock reflected the ripple effect of public concern, falling 4.25% to ₹54.80 per share on the BSE, even as the benchmark Sensex climbed 0.49% to 84,363.37 points.
While the company faces ongoing legal proceedings, critics argue that repeated allegations of burnout and workplace harassment demand an internal reckoning rather than a defensive corporate posture.
The Need for Mental Health Accountability
Industry experts and labor rights advocates have called for greater accountability among India’s fast-scaling startups, emphasizing the urgent need for transparent grievance redressal systems.
“Startups often romanticize hustle culture without considering its psychological toll,” said a Bengaluru-based HR consultant familiar with corporate compliance investigations. “When two suicides occur within the same group in six months, it’s no longer an isolated event it’s a signal of systemic neglect.”
Workplace mental health experts have also urged firms to adopt independent mental wellness audits and implement confidential employee feedback mechanisms.
Legal and Ethical Implications
The ongoing investigation could have significant implications for Ola Electric and its leadership. While the company seeks legal relief, the FIR ensures that questions surrounding employee welfare and corporate responsibility will remain under public and judicial scrutiny.
If proven, the case could set a precedent for how India’s labor laws handle workplace harassment and suicide abetment in high-profile corporate environments.
A Moment of Reckoning for Corporate India
The back-to-back tragedies at Ola Group underscore a growing crisis in India’s tech-driven workforce one where ambition and pressure increasingly intersect with silence around mental health.
As investigations continue, both Ola Electric and Ola Krutrim face a test of credibility not just in courts, but in the eyes of a public demanding accountability, empathy, and structural change within India’s startup culture.
(Disclaimer: This article is based on verified reports from credible sources and official police statements. It does not speculate on the motives of individuals involved. Investigations are ongoing, and all parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty.)
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