Ola Electric founder, senior executives booked in Bengaluru engineer’s suicide case; company challenges FIR
PTC Web Desk: An FIR has been registered against Ola Electric founder Bhavish Aggarwal and senior officials, including Subrat Kumar Das, following the suicide of 38-year-old engineer K Aravind. Aravind, who had been serving as a Homologation Engineer at the company’s Koramangala office since 2022, reportedly died by suicide on September 28.
Aravind’s brother, Ashwin Kannan, lodged a complaint alleging that Aravind faced sustained workplace harassment and delays in salary and allowances. A 28-page handwritten note recovered from Aravind’s residence reportedly detailed grievances against his superiors, including Bhavish Aggarwal and Subrat Kumar Das, suggesting that the harassment contributed to his mental distress and eventual suicide.
The family also raised concerns over a bank transfer of Rs 17.46 lakh made to Aravind’s account on September 30, two days after his death. They described the timing of the transaction as suspicious, suggesting it might indicate attempts to conceal internal discrepancies.
In response, Ola Electric expressed condolences over Aravind’s death and confirmed that it has challenged the FIR in the Karnataka High Court. The court has reportedly issued protective orders in favour of the company and its executives. In its statement, the company said Aravind had not earlier raised any grievances during his employment, nor did his role involve direct interaction with the top management. Ola Electric also confirmed that the posthumous bank transfer was part of the pending salary settlement.
The FIR, registered on October 6 at Subramanyapura police station, includes charges under Sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police investigations are ongoing to examine both the harassment claims and financial transactions related to the case.
- With inputs from agencies
