Delhi-based startup Wherehouse shuts down after police arrest co-founder
Wherehouse, a Delhi startup helping brands manage deliveries, has closed its doors after co-founder Vaibhav Chawla was arrested two days after announcing the shutdown.
The company had reached profitability last year but ran into trouble following a messy business dispute.
What went wrong?
Wherehouse faced issues when payments stopped even as they stocked way more stores than agreed.
Unpaid dues piled up and things turned ugly—over the following months, police action escalated—employees were detained without documentation and Chawla was eventually arrested.
Why does this matter?
Chawla summed it up: "Wherehouse means nothing if we can't protect the very people who built it."
This story is a real look at how payment disputes and legal battles can take down even profitable startups—and highlights some harsh realities for anyone building something new in India right now.