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The "suicide" of a young techie of Krutrim, the artificial intelligence unit of Ola, has raised questions over the company's work culture after allegations of intense work pressure and verbal abuse against employees surfaced in a viral social media post.

- BS REPORTER

Nikhil Somwanshi, who was a recent graduate of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and had joined Krutrim less than a year ago, allegedly died by suicide on May 8. The incident gained widespread attention after a post by an anonymous user on social media platform Reddit went viral, describing the environment at the company as "traumatic", especially for freshers. The user claimed to be a colleague of Somwanshi.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of one of our most talented young employees, Nikhil, on May 8. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," an Ola Krutrim spokesperson told Business Standard.

The Reddit user in his post alleged that Somwanshi had been leading a project with two others despite being a recent graduate. After the other two left the company, the workload allegedly fell entirely on him. The post alleged that the team's manager was verbally abusive in meetings and disconnected from the team, working remotely from the US, while the rest of the staff was based in Bengaluru. It alleged that the company authorities were attempting to suppress the news of the death.