Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, senior executive booked in India engineer’s suicide case

Dubai: The Bengaluru police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and senior executive Subrath Kumar Das, following the death of a 38-year-old engineer who allegedly took his own life after facing workplace harassment.

The deceased, K. Aravind, a homologation engineer with Ola Electric since 2022, reportedly left behind a 28-page handwritten death note accusing his superiors — including Aggarwal and Das — of “mental harassment and financial exploitation.”

According to police officials and reports from IANS and NDTV, the case was filed on October 6 based on a complaint by Aravind’s brother, Ashwin Kannan, after the family discovered the note at his residence in Bengaluru’s Chikkalasandra.

Aravind allegedly consumed poison on September 28 and was rushed to Maharaja Agrasena Hospital, where he succumbed the same day.

The FIR names Aggarwal, Das — who heads Vehicle Homologations and Regulation at Ola — and others under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The complaint cites persistent workplace harassment and financial misconduct. The family alleged that a suspicious ₹1.74 million transfer was made to Aravind’s bank account via NEFT two days after his death.

When they sought clarification, company representatives allegedly provided vague and inconsistent explanations. “Notices have been issued to all individuals named in the FIR. They have submitted written explanations, and further investigation is in progress,” a senior police officer told IANS.

The FIR further alleges that the constant humiliation and financial pressure from Aravind’s seniors drove him to suicide.

In a statement cited by NDTV, Ola said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and offered condolences to Aravind’s family. The company said Aravind had been associated with Ola Electric for over three and a half years and had never raised any complaint or grievance during his tenure.

“His role did not involve any direct interaction with the company’s top management, including the promoter,” Ola said.

The company added that it has challenged the FIR before the Karnataka High Court, claiming that protective orders have been passed in its favor. “Ola Electric is fully cooperating with the authorities and remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive workplace for all employees,” the statement said.

Ola also said the ₹17.46 lakh transfer was part of the full and final settlement processed promptly to support the family after Aravind’s death.

The case comes weeks after SoftBank, a major investor in Ola Electric, trimmed its stake in the company. According to a regulatory filing, SoftBank’s investment arm SVF II Ostrich (DE) LLC sold about 94.9 million shares between July 15 and September 2, amounting to more than 2% of the company’s equity. Shares of Ola Electric dropped nearly 8% following the sale.