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(CN) — The parents of Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher who died last November, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday against his San Francisco apartment complex, claiming it was involved in a cover-up that included tampering with surveillance footage, destroying evidence and obstructing the investigation into their son’s death.
In the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court by attorney Phoenix Thottam, the deceased researcher’s parents challenge the police department’s ruling that Balaji died by suicide. Plaintiffs Poornima Ramarao and Ramamurthy Balaji are seeking at least $1 million in damages from Alta Laguna LLC, which owns the Alchemy Apartments complex, and Holland Partner Group LLC, a property management company.
Balaji, 26, was found dead in his apartment on Nov. 26, 2024. Police initially ruled he took his own life, and the city’s medical examiner confirmed that finding. But his parents describe him as having “a promising career and no suicidal ideation.”
Balaji had worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before leaving in August 2024. He became a whistleblower, raising concerns about the company’s use of copyrighted material to train its AI systems, and had indicated he would testify in copyright lawsuits against the company.
His parents emphasize his whistleblowing activities in their lawsuit, saying that: “Suchir Balaji’s work as an AI researcher included whistleblowing activities concerning misconduct at OpenAI in the six-months preceding his homicide in November 2024, giving rise to a plausible motive for foul play and further heightening Defendants’ duty to preserve evidence.”
They also claim the apartment complex owners and management were involved in evidence tampering and obstruction.
“Defendants produced only two days of video despite plaintiffs’ request for seven, which would have covered Suchir’s absence during his Los Angeles birthday trip (Nov. 18–21, 2024). The footage provided includes an elevator recording at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2024, purportedly showing Suchir retrieving a DoorDash order. This conflicts with plaintiffs’ contemporaneous phone call with him from 7:12 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., strongly suggesting timestamp manipulation.”
The parents assert that the apartment manager was fired right after showing CCTV footage to them, suggesting that property management may have been trying to retaliate and cover something up.
They also argue that emergency responders were blocked from accessing the apartment, delaying the discovery of Suchir’s death. Body-camera footage captures the property manager arguing against returning the apartment keys to Suchir’s mother, despite what she describes as her legal right as next of kin.
Independent forensic experts hired by the family identified “evidence of possible foul play, including signs inconsistent with suicide," they say in their complaint.
The parents also point to recent media reports regarding Suchir Balaji’s death. In a widely publicized Sept. 11, 2025, interview with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, conservative commentator and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson called the death “definitely murder.”
The San Francisco Police Department has not commented on the lawsuit’s challenge to its determination Suchir Balaji died by suicide.
The parties in the suit could not immediately be reached for comment.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
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