Nearly two weeks ago, the body of a 25-year-old man named Nikhil Somwanshi was found in Agara Lake in Bengaluru. He worked as a machine learning engineer for Krutrim, an artificial intelligence company owned by Ola. 

The incident happened on May 8. Police registered a First Information Report (FIR), and investigations are now ongoing to understand what led to his death.

Nikhil joined Krutrim in August 2024. He had just finished his master's degree from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru. He was a top student with a GPA of 9.30 and was considered highly talented in his field.

In the days following his death, several online users and media reports started raising questions about the work environment at Krutrim. One Reddit user, using the name ‘Kirgawakutzo,’ claimed that Nikhil had been under a lot of pressure at work.

According to the post, his U.S.-based manager, Rajkiran Panuganti, was said to have used “traumatic” language with new employees and created a “hostile” environment. Some workers reportedly quit because of this. The post also claimed that after others left, Nikhil was left with too much work.

A spokesperson from Krutrim said the company is deeply saddened by Nikhil’s passing and is helping authorities with the investigation. The spokesperson also mentioned that Nikhil was on leave at the time of the incident.

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