Ola CEO Bhavish Agarwal: Ola Electric said it promptly processed the full and final settlement to Aravind’s account to support his family and has challenged the FIR before the Karnataka High Court
Ola Electric employee's 'suicide' note blames CEO, senior officials, FIR filed against them
FIR filed for abetment to suicide after deceased engineer's death, his 28-page note alleges harassment; Ola Electric secures protective orders from High Court
Putting the spotlight once again on the perils of work pressure, a case of abetment to suicide has been registered against Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, senior officer Subrata Kumar Das, and the company itself, after the alleged suicide of an employee in Bengaluru.
Though the FIR was filed on October 6 at Subramanyapura Police Station, the case has only surfaced in the public eye now.
Death note
The deceased, K Aravind, who was a homologation engineer at Ola Electric, allegedly consumed poison and died on September 28. Initially, police registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR), but when ₹17.46 lakh was transferred to Aravind’s bank account two days after his death, police was suspicious and started to investigate the case.
While searching his room, investigators reportedly found a 28-page death note in which Aravind accused Subrata Kumar Das and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal of mental harassment, excessive work pressure, and non-payment of salary and dues. These were the reasons allegedly given for his suicide in his note.
FIR against Ola Electric
After the note was discovered, Aravind’s family filed a formal complaint, prompting police to register a case. The FIR names Das, Aggarwal, and Ola Electric as accused. The investigation is currently underway.
Ola Electric's response
In response, Ola Electric issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over Aravind’s death. A company spokesperson said, “We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of our colleague, Aravind, and our thoughts remain with his family during this difficult time.”
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The spokesperson added that Aravind had been with the company for over three and a half years and was based at its Bengaluru headquarters. And that 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 statement read.
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Ola Electric said it promptly processed the full and final settlement to Aravind’s account to support his family and has challenged the FIR before the Karnataka High Court. The company stated that protective orders have been passed in favour of its officials and said it will cooperate fully with the authorities.
“We remain dedicated to maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive workplace for all employees,” the spokesperson added.