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Ola Electric Sales Crash 61% Amid Engineer Suicide Scandal

Ola Electric experienced a massive 61% sales drop in October compared to last year. The company is facing multiple crises including a workplace harassment scandal following an engineer's suicide. Sales have been temporarily suspended in Goa due to customer complaints about poor service. The company denies all allegations while the court continues investigating the case.

Key Points: Ola Electric October Sales Drop 61 Percent to 16034 Units

  • October sales plummeted to 16,034 units from 41,843 last year
  • Engineer suicide case reveals workplace harassment allegations
  • Sales suspended in Goa due to poor after-sales service
  • Company denies all allegations despite handwritten suicide note
2 min read

Ola electric's October sales drop 61 pc YoY to 16,034 units

Ola Electric records 61% sales decline amid workplace harassment scandal involving engineer suicide and service complaints in Goa.

Ola electric's October sales drop 61 pc YoY to 16,034 units
"Worse than the East India Company - Advocate Prasanna Kumar describing Ola Electric"

Mumbai, Nov 1

Bhavish Aggarwal-run Ola Electric recorded sales of 16,034 e-scooters in the month of October, marking a 61 per cent decline from 41,843 units sold in the same month last year, according to the data from government's Vahan portal on Saturday.

In the month of September, Ola Electric had sold 13,421 units, as per Vahan data.

The drop in sales come as sales in Goa have reportedly been temporarily suspended due to complaints regarding poor after-sales service and delays in receiving registration certificates.

Earlier, shares of the electric-vehicle maker faced significant pressure during the special Muhurat Day trading session on October 21, following reports that senior Ola Electric executives were implicated in the suicide of 38-year-old engineer K. Aravind.

Aravind, a homologation engineer at Ola Electric, allegedly died by suicide on September 28 at his Bengaluru flat. In a 28-page handwritten note, he accused his superiors of continuous workplace harassment and of withholding salary and other financial dues.

During the hearing at the court, advocate Prasanna Kumar, who appeared for the complainant, described Ola Electric as “worse than the East India Company”, alleging severe mistreatment of employees.

He also raised concerns about a transfer of Rs 17.46 lakh to Aravind’s bank account two days after his death, calling it suspicious.

Meanwhile, the defendant's lawyer said that the matter was initially registered as an Unnatural Death Report (UDR), so a new FIR should not have been filed.

Ola Electric has denied all allegations, adding that Aravind never raised any formal complaints or grievances about harassment during his employment.

After hearing both sides, the High Court directed the police to continue their investigation fairly but instructed them not to harass the petitioners. The court has scheduled the next hearing for November 17.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The sales drop doesn't surprise me at all. My friend bought an Ola scooter last year and has been facing constant issues with service centers. The quality needs to improve if they want to compete with established players like Hero and TVS.
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Arjun K
Very sad to hear about the engineer's suicide. No job is worth losing your life over. Companies must create healthy work environments. The 61% sales drop shows customers are voting with their wallets. Hope Ola learns from this and improves.
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Sarah B
As an investor, I'm worried about Ola Electric's future. The combination of workplace controversies and declining sales is a red flag. They need to address both employee welfare and customer satisfaction urgently.
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Vikram M
I own an Ola S1 Pro and honestly, the product is good but the service network is pathetic. Had to wait 3 weeks for a simple repair. No wonder sales are dropping. They expanded too fast without proper infrastructure.
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Michael C
While the sales decline is significant, let's not forget that Ola Electric is still a young company in the EV space. They've brought innovation to the market. Hope they can overcome these challenges and build a sustainable business model.

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