Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, top staff booked after employee dies by suicide, claims harassment by management

The police have named Subrat Kumar Dash, Head, Vehicle Homologations and Regulations, Ola Electric; Bhavish Aggarwal and some others in the FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s (BNS) Section 108 (abetment of suicide).

Aravind’s elder brother, Ashwin Kannan, filed a complaint with the police, saying his brother had left a 28-page death note. According to the FIR filed on September 30, Rs 17,46,313 was credited to Aravind’s bank account through NEFT two days after his death.

“I felt suspicious as such a huge amount was credited to his account. Upon enquiring with Subrat Kumar Dash, he was asked to contact the HR. Upon checking with them, Krithesh Desai, Paramesh and Roshan – all representatives of Ola Electric – came home and explained about the money transactions which were abrupt and did not have any logic. It looked like the company was trying to hide some information,” Ashwin said in the FIR.

In the death note written by Aravind, he alleged Dash and Aggarwal were harassing him at work and did not pay the salaries and other incentives which pushed him into depression, eventually leading to death by suicide. “I want the police to take action against them and provide justice to me,” the FIR said.

Neither Dash nor Aggarwal have issued any statement in this regard. DCP (South West) Anitha B Haddannavar told The Indian Express the case was initially registered as “unnatural death” and Aravind’s brother filed a complaint after the death note enumerated the reasons. “We are looking into the issue and the probe is underway,” she added.