Ola engineer dies by suicide in Bengaluru; family alleges harassment by seniors, founder Bhavish Aggarwal

The deceased, K. Aravind, was employed as a homologation engineer with Ola since 2022. On September 28, he allegedly consumed poison at his residence in Chikkalasandra, Bengaluru.

Friends reportedly found him in distress and took him to Maharaja Agrasena Hospital, where he later died the same day.

Police have registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR) and are investigating the case.

According to Aravind’s brother, a 28-page note was later found at his residence, in which the engineer accused Subrat Kumar Das and Bhavish Aggarwal of workplace harassment, delayed payments, and withholding of salary and allowances.

The note claimed these actions pushed him to take his life.

Two days after his death, a suspicious bank transfer of ₹17.46 lakh was made to Aravind’s account.

When his family sought clarification, company representatives reportedly gave inconsistent explanations, further raising suspicion.

Based on a complaint filed by Aravind’s brother, an FIR was registered on October 6 against Aggarwal, Das, and others under charges of abetment to suicide and workplace harassment.

Ola electric’s response

In a statement, Ola Electric expressed condolences over Aravind’s death but denied all allegations of harassment.

“We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of our colleague, Aravind… During his tenure, Aravind never raised any complaint or grievance regarding his employment or any harassment. His role also did not involve direct interaction with the company’s top management, including the promoter,” the company said.

Ola also stated that it had challenged the FIR before the Karnataka High Court, which has granted protective orders in favor of the company and its officials.

The company added that it had settled all dues and made a final payment to Aravind’s bank account as immediate support for the family.

“Ola Electric is fully cooperating with the authorities and remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive workplace for all employees,” the spokesperson said.