'Tell my family it was an accident': What 24-year-old Ola employee from Bengaluru wrote before death

Friends say Nikhil faced intense work pressure at Kritrim, especially after two colleagues resigned, leaving him with an increased workload. Allegations have also been raised against Nikhil's manager, who is based in the US.

Bengaluru: A 24-year-old techie in Bengaluru took his own life allegedly due to excessive work pressure. The victim was identified as Nikhil Somvanshi, a native of Maharashtra, and was a machine learning engineer at Kritrim, Ola's AI wing. Nikhil graduated from the Indian Institute of Science last year with a 9.3 CGPA. Before taking his life, he sent a message to a friend asking them to tell his family that his death was accidental. 

Upon receiving the message yesterday, his friends informed the police and initiated a search for Nikhil. His body was recovered from a lake this morning. Friends say Nikhil faced intense work pressure at Kritrim, especially after two colleagues resigned, leaving him with an increased workload. Allegations have also been raised against Nikhil's manager, who is based in the US.

A Reddit post appeared with accusations against Raj Kiran, the team lead based in the US. The post alleges that Raj Kiran used abusive language, causing mental distress. An anonymous post on Reddit also claimed that employees were instructed not to discuss Nikhil's death publicly. Ola officials, however, stated they were unaware of the death, claiming Nikhil was on leave and that they were not aware of any issues. Meanwhile, IT employee unions have protested Nikhil's suicide.

Krutrim extended their “full support” to the family of Nikhil Somwanshi and said they were in contact with authorities. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of one of our most talented young employees, Nikhil Somwanshi, on 8 May. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” a statement read.

(Suicide is not the solution. Seek help from mental health professionals. If you have such thoughts, call the 'Disha' helpline: Toll-free helpline number: 1056, 0471-2552056)