Tragic Loss of a Young Machine Learning Engineer Due to Work Pressure

A 25-year-old machine learning engineer at the AI company Krutrim was found deceased in Bengaluru’s Agara Lake. The tech professional reportedly took his own life as a result of overwhelming work pressure and an abusive management style.

The body of the engineer, identified as Nikhil Somwanshi, was discovered on May 8, prompting the filing of a first information report (FIR) to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. The tragic incident gained attention across social media platforms after a post on Reddit by a user claiming to be a colleague of Somwanshi went viral.

In a statement regarding the situation, a spokesperson from the company informed news agency PTI: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of one of our most talented young employees, Nikhil Somwanshi, on the 8th of May. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

The colleague described the company’s work environment as “traumatic,” particularly for recent graduates. According to this Reddit post, Somwanshi was responsible for leading a project alongside two other team members, despite being a recent graduate himself.

The user mentioned that after the departure of the other team members, Nikhil had been left to manage their workload single-handedly. Furthermore, the Reddit post outlined issues with Somwanshi’s manager, who, as described, “has no real clue how to manage people.”

“He just attends the calls, criticises team members frequently, and then disappears since he resides in the US while the majority of the workforce is based in Bangalore. The language used in meetings, particularly towards new employees, is just traumatic,” the commentary read.

As stated by the company, Somwanshi was on personal leave at the time of this incident.

The spokesperson further elaborated: “He had reached out to his manager on April 8, indicating that he needed a break, and was granted personal time off. Subsequently, on April 17, he mentioned feeling better but requested additional rest, and his leave was extended accordingly.”

“Our hearts are broken over this loss. Nikhil was a valued team member, and his absence will be profoundly felt by everyone who knew and worked with him,” the spokesperson expressed.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Somwanshi created the Saathi chatbot for his master’s thesis, which received funding from the Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with IISc Bangalore, Oxford Brookes University, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Akaike Technologies. This innovative chatbot simplifies access to over 200 government schemes in four Indian states, catering to regional dialects and user inquiries.