Karnataka HC directs Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal to cooperate in engineer’s suicide probe

The Karnataka High Court has directed Ola Electric CEO and Managing Director Bhavish Aggarwal and Head of Homologation Engineering Subrat Kumar Das to fully cooperate with the police investigation into the alleged suicide of engineer K. Aravind, an employee of the company.

The case stems from an FIR filed by Aravind’s brother, Ashwin Kannan, with Subramanyapura Police, accusing the company officials of abetment to suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The deceased allegedly left behind a suicide note mentioning workplace harassment and denial of salary dues and other benefits by his seniors.

Justice Mohammad Nawaz, while hearing the petition challenging the FIR, extended the interim protection already granted to the petitioners and instructed the police not to harass them under the guise of investigation till November 17. The court, however, directed them to actively participate in the probe and respond to the police summons in person instead of only through written communication.

During the hearing, the petitioners questioned the authenticity of the suicide note, suggesting it may not have been written by the deceased. They also expressed concern that media coverage and social media discussions surrounding the incident had damaged the company’s reputation, impacted its share prices, and led to employee exits.

The complainant’s counsel, however, likened Ola Electric’s conduct to that of the East India Company, alleging that the firm was trying to deflect blame instead of addressing the core issues.

The court observed that the investigation should proceed without bias or harassment and clarified that any final police report filed against the petitioners could be challenged in due course.