CEO of an AI company in Bengaluru claims former employee stole his passport after being fired in a salary dispute

Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence startup Saarthi.ai is under fire over allegations of unpaid salaries and a strange claim by its CEO involving a stolen passport. As the company struggles with 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 to stabilize its finances. However, over 50 employees are said to have gone without pay since March 2023. The company's founder and CEO, Vishwa Nath Jha, has denied these allegations as part of a “smear campaign.”

In a recent interview with Entrackr, Jha made a surprising accusation: He claimed that a senior executive had stolen his passport, which contained a crucial US visa. “I managed to get a new passport, but I still don't have a US visa. The wait is long,” Jha said, suggesting that the incident had hampered his ability to secure international funding for the company.

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

“The company has been withholding salaries and ignoring legal notices for over a year. The founder has repeatedly refused to provide explanations,” a former employee told Entrackr on condition of anonymity.

Jha has denied the salary withholding allegations, claiming they are part of an attempt to tarnish Saarthi.ai's reputation. However, reports also suggest that the company has not paid tax deducted at source (TDS) to employees for the last two financial years.

Despite the ongoing controversy, Jha stresses that the company is actively working to resolve its financial problems and is in talks with investors to raise new funds to pay off its debt.

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