CEO Of Bengaluru AI Firm Claims Ex-Employee Stole Passport After Layoff During Salary Dispute

Bengaluru-based Artificial Intelligence start-up Saarthi.ai is under fire over allegations of unpaid salaries and a peculiar claim by its CEO involving a stolen passport

Vishwa Nath Jha's Saarthi.ai reportedly laid off a significant portion of its workforce in September 2022 in an effort to stabilise its finances.

Source : Vishwa Nath Jha/ LinkedIn

Bengaluru-based Artificial Intelligence start-up Saarthi.ai is under fire over allegations of unpaid salaries and a peculiar claim by its CEO involving a stolen passport. As the company battles financial difficulties, former employees describe a dire situation, while the CEO downplays the allegations.

Saarthi.ai reportedly laid off a significant portion of its workforce in September 2022 in an effort to stabilise its finances. However, since March 2023, over 50 employees have allegedly gone without pay. The company's founder and CEO, Vishwa Nath Jha, has dismissed these accusations as part of a "defamation campaign."

In a recent interview with Entrackr, Jha made a startling accusation, alleging that a senior employee had stolen his passport, which included a critical US visa. "I managed to get a new passport, but I still don't have the US visa again. The wait is long," Jha said, implying the incident had obstructed his ability to secure international funding for the company.

While Jha claims the passport theft is a setback, employees tell a different story.

"The company has been withholding salaries for over a year now and has ignored legal notices. The founder has repeatedly refused to provide explanations," a former employee told Entrackr under the condition of anonymity.

Jha has denied the claims of salary withholding, asserting that they are part of an effort to damage Saarthi.ai’s reputation. However, reports also suggest that the company has failed to deposit employee Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) payments for the past two fiscal years.

Despite the ongoing controversies, Jha insists the company is actively working to resolve its financial issues and is in talks with investors to raise new funds aimed at addressing its debts.