Nearly two weeks after 25-year-old machine learning engineer Nikhil Somwanshi was found dead in Bengaluru’s Agara Lake, serious allegations have surfaced linking his death to workplace toxicity at Krutrim, an AI company owned by Ola.

Somwanshi, a brilliant graduate from IISc with a GPA of 9.30, joined Krutrim in August 2024. According to Reddit posts and media reports quoting anonymous employees, he was reportedly overburdened after several teammates quit, allegedly due to abusive behavior by his US-based manager, Rajkiran Panuganti.

A Reddit user, posting under the handle ‘Kirgawakutzo’, accused Panuganti of fostering a traumatic and hostile work environment. The post claims the manager used degrading language, created a culture of fear, and continued with verbal abuse even after Nikhil’s death became known.

Krutrim, in a statement, said it was deeply saddened and is cooperating with authorities. The company confirmed Nikhil was on leave, having requested time off in early April. His leave had been extended after he reported needing more rest.

Former employees quoted in Business Standard and Financial Express echoed the abuse claims, describing Panuganti’s management style as aggressive, emotionally damaging, and marked by verbal assaults during meetings.

This case echoes similar workplace-related tragedies, including those of Anna Sebastian from Ernst & Young and a Bajaj Finance employee, both of whom reportedly suffered fatal consequences due to excessive work stress.

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