Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal booked for abetment to suicide after employee's death in Bengaluru

New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) The Bengaluru police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and senior executive Subrath Kumar Das after an employee allegedly took his own life.

The deceased, 38-year-old K Aravind, is said to have left behind a 28-page death note in which he accused his seniors of workplace harassment. Police said the case was filed following a complaint by Aravind’s brother, Ashwin Kannan.

According to officials, the FIR names Bhavish Aggarwal, Subrath Kumar Das -- who heads Vehicle Homologations and Regulation at Ola -- and others under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The complaint also mentions alleged financial irregularities of about ₹17.46 lakh discovered after Aravind’s death.

The incident took place on September 28, when Aravind allegedly consumed poison at his residence. He was rushed to a private hospital but could not survive.

His family later found the death note, which detailed claims of persistent harassment at work and accused senior Ola executives of misconduct.

They also alleged that the company’s HR department failed to provide a clear explanation regarding certain money transfers made to Aravind’s bank account.

A senior investigating officer confirmed that notices had been issued to all individuals named in the FIR.

“They have submitted written explanations, and further investigation is in progress,” the officer said. Ola has not yet issued an official statement regarding the matter.

Meanwhile, last month, shares of Ola Electric Mobility dropped nearly 8 per cent after Japanese investment giant SoftBank cut its stake in the electric scooter maker through open market deals.

According to a regulatory filing on September 5, SoftBank’s investment arm SVF II Ostrich (DE) LLC sold about 94.9 million shares of Ola Electric between July 15 and September 2.

This stake sale amounted to over 2 per cent of the company’s equity, triggering mandatory disclosure under SEBI rules.

--IANS

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