- By Deeksha Gour
- Mon, 19 May 2025 04:08 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bengaluru News: A 25-year-old machine learning engineer who worked at Krutrim, an AI firm under Ola, was found dead in Bengaluru’s Agara Lake on May 8. Nearly two weeks after his death, serious allegations have emerged online, accusing the company of fostering a toxic work environment that may have pushed him to die by suicide.
The engineer, Nikhil Somwanshi, had joined Krutrim in August 2024, shortly after completing his master’s from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. According to media reports, he was under intense work pressure and was handling tasks left behind by several team members who had resigned, reportedly due to the behaviour of their manager.
A Reddit user, ‘Kirgawakutzo’, alleged that Rajkiran Panuganti, a US-based manager at the company often used abusive language with new employees, frequently insulted junior staff and caused many resignations within the team.
Krutim Statement
In response to the tragedy, a spokesperson for Krutrim expressed deep sorrow over Somwanshi’s passing and confirmed that the company is in contact with authorities to provide support as needed. “We are heartbroken by the loss of one of our most talented young employees. Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family and friends during this difficult time,” the spokesperson stated.
According to the company, Somwanshi was on leave at the time of his death. He had reached out to his manager on April 8, requesting time off to rest, which was granted. On April 17, he communicated that while he felt better, he would benefit from additional rest, leading to an extension of his leave.
However, the Reddit user alleged that Panuganti continued to mistreat staff even after learning of Somwanshi’s death. Employees, speaking anonymously, described the manager as having a long-standing reputation for aggressive behaviour, often belittling junior staff and labelling them as incompetent.
Business Standard report cited a former employee who corroborated these allegations, stating they had resigned without securing another job due to intense pressure and experienced feelings of despair during their time at Krutrim. Another former employee described Panuganti as lacking people management skills, noting, “He shouts at employees and disappears. The verbal abuse in meetings was traumatic.”
Who Is Nikhil Somwanshi
Nikhil’s LinkedIn profile shows that he worked with Krutrim for about 10 months. Before joining the company, he had interned at Kotak Mahindra Bank and also at IISc, where he contributed to a chatbot project named ‘Saathi’. This chatbot used advanced AI technologies like LLMs and was part of a joint project involving IISc, Oxford Brookes University, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and others, supported by the Melinda Gates Foundation.
A first information report (FIR) has been filed in connection with Nikhil’s death and investigations are ongoing.