In a significant interim relief to OLA Electric’s top management, the Karnataka High Court on October 17 directed the Bengaluru police not to harass the company’s founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, or senior official Subrat Kumar Das, while investigating the alleged suicide of OLA engineer K. Aravind. The bench of Justice Mohammed Nawaz made it clear that investigative powers should not be used as a tool for intimidation.
“The police who are investigating the case registered in Crime No.372/2025… shall not harass the petitioners in the guise of investigation,” the court’s interim order stated.
Background
The case stems from the tragic death of K. Aravind, a 38-year-old engineer employed with OLA Electric in Bengaluru. Aravind reportedly took his own life on September 28 at his Chikkalasandra residence, allegedly after facing workplace harassment and financial exploitation.
His brother, Ashwin Kannan, lodged a complaint accusing Aggarwal, Das, and others at OLA of driving Aravind to suicide. The complaint also mentioned that a suicide note was recovered, naming both senior executives. Based on this, the Subramanyapura Police registered an FIR on October 6, invoking Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) - the provision dealing with abetment of suicide.
Interestingly, Aravind’s family pointed out that ₹17.46 lakh was credited to his bank account two days after his death. They claimed this raised suspicions about the company’s conduct, suggesting the transfer might have been an attempt to “settle accounts” posthumously.
Court’s Observations
During the hearing, Justice Nawaz emphasized that while the investigation should proceed unhindered, individual rights must also be safeguarded. “No one should be made to suffer unnecessary mental agony under the pretext of inquiry,” the bench remarked, underscoring that harassment of accused persons is not permissible merely because an FIR exists.
The court further noted that OLA’s founder and its head of Homologation Engineering had already approached the High Court to quash the FIR, asserting that the allegations were unfounded and that they had no personal role in Aravind’s day-to-day work pressures.
The bench appeared cautious, balancing between the seriousness of the death and the possibility of misuse of police powers in high-profile corporate cases.
Decision
Issuing an interim order, the High Court restrained the police from causing any harassment to Aggarwal or Das while continuing with lawful investigation procedures. The State and the complainant (Aravind’s brother) have been asked to file their responses before the next hearing.
For now, the order provides temporary relief to OLA’s leadership, though the underlying case of alleged abetment to suicide remains very much alive.
Case Title: Subrat Kumar Das & Ors. v. State of Karnataka & Anr.
Petitioners: Bhavish Aggarwal (CEO, OLA Electric) and Subrat Kumar Das (Head of Homologation Engineering)
Respondents: State of Karnataka and Ashwin Kannan (brother of deceased employee)
Date of Order: October 17, 2025
