Ola Krutrim engineer’s last message before death: ‘Tell them I died in an accident’

Nikhil Somwanshi completed his postgraduate studies at IISc with a remarkable 9.30 GPA, where he worked on advanced research involving large language models and retrieval-augmented generation, contributing to a project reportedly supported by the Melinda Gates Foundation

A 24-year-old engineer working with Ola’s artificial intelligence arm, Krutrim, was found dead in Agara Lake near HSR Layout on May 8, raising serious questions about work-related stress in high-pressure tech environments.

The deceased, Nikhil Somwanshi, hailed from Jalgaon in Maharashtra and was employed as a machine learning engineer. According to the police, Somwanshi had left his shared apartment on the evening of May 7 and sent a message to his roommate stating he had "died in an accident," sparking concern. When calls to him went unanswered, the roommate tracked his location using a connected device, which led him to the lake. A pair of slippers was found near the water, prompting a call to emergency services. His body was recovered the next morning due to low visibility the previous night.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast Division), Sarah Fatima, confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and that the postmortem report is awaited.

Somwanshi had completed his postgraduate studies at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), where he earned an impressive GPA of 9.30. During his time at IISc, he was involved in research involving large language models (LLMs) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), reportedly as part of a project supported by the Melinda Gates Foundation.

Reddit post sparks toxic work culture probe

The incident came under the spotlight after a Reddit post, allegedly written by a colleague or insider, linked the engineer’s death to a highly stressful work environment at Krutrim. The post claimed that Somwanshi had been put in charge of responsibilities far beyond his experience shortly after joining in August 2024. It also alleged verbal abuse by a senior US-based manager and said the internal culture discouraged employees from speaking out.

According to the post, Somwanshi took on added pressure after two team members resigned and received little support. The writer accused the company of ignoring the issue after the tragedy, even warning staff against discussing the incident.

In response to growing public attention, Ola Krutrim acknowledged the engineer’s death and extended condolences to his family. The company added that Somwanshi had been on personal leave and had reported being unwell. However, the statement did not address any of the workplace misconduct allegations.

Krutrim, a key part of Ola's artificial intelligence strategy, gained prominence earlier in 2024 after raising $50 million in funding, achieving a $1 billion valuation and becoming India’s first AI unicorn.

The young engineer’s death has sparked renewed discussions about mental health support and working conditions in the Indian tech industry. As the investigation continues, pressure is mounting on companies to foster healthier and more transparent workplace cultures.

Also Read: Ola launches Krutrim, its own AI model