FIR Filed Against Ola Electric Founder Bhavish Aggarwal, Officials After Engineer’s Suicide
38-year-old employee left a 28-page note alleging workplace harassment and withheld salary; Ola Electric challenges FIR in Karnataka High Court.
Bengaluru– A case has been registered against Ola Electric founder Bhavish Aggarwal and several senior company officials following the suicide of a 38-year-old engineer, who allegedly faced harassment at work and non-payment of dues, police said on Monday.
The deceased, K Aravind, had been working as a Homologation Engineer at Ola Electric’s Koramangala office since 2022. According to a complaint filed by his brother, Ashwin Kannan, Aravind attempted suicide on September 28 at his residence in Chikkalasandra and was admitted to Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, where he later passed away.
Police recovered a 28-page handwritten note from Aravind’s room, in which he allegedly blamed his superiors for mental harassment and financial stress, citing delayed salary and unpaid allowances as key reasons for his actions.
The FIR, filed on October 6 at Subramanyapura Police Station, names Subrat Kumar Das, Head of Homologation Engineering, Bhavish Aggarwal, and other company officials. They have been booked under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) and Section 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A police investigation is currently underway.
Aravind’s family also raised concerns over a payment of Rs 17.46 lakh that was transferred to his bank account on September 30, two days after his death. They termed the transaction “suspicious,” alleging it could be an attempt by the company to cover up internal issues. Company representatives reportedly failed to provide clear answers when questioned by the family.
In response, Ola Electric issued a statement expressing sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to Aravind’s family. “We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of our colleague, and our thoughts are with his family,” the company said.
The statement further claimed that Aravind had not raised any formal complaints or grievances during his tenure and had no direct interaction with the company’s top management. Ola Electric also said that it facilitated the full and final settlement to his bank account promptly after the incident.
The company has challenged the registration of the FIR in the Karnataka High Court, which has passed protective orders in favor of the firm and its executives.
“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,” the company said.
