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The FIR, registered under section 108 of the Indian Code of Justice (BNS), names Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and a senior executive. The case pertains to the death of Arvind Kannan, a software engineer at the company, who was found dead at his Bengaluru residence in September this year. The police had initially registered an unnatural death report (UDR) under section 174 of the CrPC, later converting it to a case under section 108 of the BNS following a complaint by her family alleging harassment at the workplace.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate MS Shyamsundar argued that once a UDR was registered and investigation was underway, a second FIR on the same incident was not maintainable.
“An employee of a group committed suicide, it is not a homicide. After the suicide, a UDR case was registered, and the company has paid all the dues to the deceased,” he said.
He argued that the company, a publicly listed entity, was facing reputational and financial damage due to the FIR and the complainant’s statements in the media.
“My share prices are falling. There is a lot on social media, everyone is saying that Ola has a toxic culture and my employees are leaving,” Shyamsundar told the court.
Advocate Prasanna Kumar, representing the complainant, said the complaint demands a thorough investigation. He alleged that the company’s internal culture had created pressures that contributed to the tragedy, commenting that “the company is worse than the East India Company.” The bench questioned whether a second FIR could be filed when the UDR was still pending. “Show me any judgment which says that if there is a UDR, another FIR cannot be filed,” the court asked.
Explaining the difference, the judge said that UDR is filed when the cause of death is not initially clear. However, if new evidence, such as a death note or allegations suggesting abetment comes to light, the police have the right to file a fresh FIR for further investigation.
The court said, “Because of the death note, the police will have to investigate, otherwise.”
The High Court has directed Ola Electric and its officials to cooperate in the ongoing investigation, making it clear that the police can continue investigating the case under Section 108 BNS. The matter has been listed for further hearing on November 17.
According to the complaint filed by Arvind’s brother, the 38-year-old engineer had to face constant workplace pressure and mental stress while working in the Homologation and Regulation division of Ola Electric. After his death, police reportedly recovered a 28-page handwritten note, which allegedly described professional insults, outstanding dues and trouble caused to senior officials.
Following the FIR, the company’s senior leadership, including Bhavish Aggarwal, moved the High Court seeking quashing of the case and protection of the petitioners from police harassment. Earlier, the court had granted a protective order directing the Bengaluru Police not to harass or arrest officials during the investigation. However, the court made it clear that the investigation will continue.