New Delhi:

Puneet Khurana’s (40) estranged wife Manika Pahwa and her family had been torturing him mentally and that drove him to the edge, the Delhi businessman’s family has alleged after he died by suicide at his Model Town residence yesterday.

Puneet’s sister told news agency ANI, “Manika Pahwa, her parents and her sister forced my brother, stressed him out, instigated him by saying, ‘you can’t do anything, die by suicide if you dare’. Puneet shot a video before his death, it is on his phone, he has said everything, about how Manika and his parents pressured him mentally. They threatened to throw our parents out and dared him to open his shop’s shutter. They kept abusing him.”

Asked about the business dispute between Puneet and Manika, she said, “They earlier ran the bakery business in partnership. But when the first notion for divorce was signed, it was decided and put in writing that Puneet would manage For God’s bakery and Manika would get Woodbox Cafe. It was signed. Even after that, she kept saying that she won’t leave her share. When the matter has been decided in court, go and raise the issue there. She kept calling him and demanding her share.”

#WATCH | 40 -year old Puneet Khurana dies allegedly by suicide, his family levels charges of harassment against his wife and in-laws

The deceased’s sister says, “Manika Pahwa, her sister and parents mentally tortured and harassed him. There is a video recording of around 59… pic.twitter.com/TfKfOBIZIE

— ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2025

Puneet’s sister alleged Manika hacked Puneet’s Instagram account. “She misbehaved with people through his Instagram account. It is because of this that my brother had to call her at 3 am. We have the recording,” she said.

#WATCH | Delhi | Deceased Puneet’s mother says, “She (Puneet’s wife) used to keep torturing him…I want justice for him.” pic.twitter.com/DHQt9mNU2E

— ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2025

Puneet’s mother said she had hoped that her son and Manika would be fine after separation. “But she kept torturing my son and he suffered in silence. The two shared the business, they would have disputes over it. He would not say anything openly to us, thinking that my parents would be upset. He kept swallowing his grief. My son was doing well, but she tortured him so much yesterday that he took this step. I lost my son, please ensure justice for him so that his soul rests in peace,” she told ANI.

Police have said 40-year-old Puneet died by hanging last afternoon. He had spoken to Manika the night before and the recorded conversation has the two quarrelling with each other over business.

According to reports, the couple married in 2016 and separated two years back. They had been going through divorce proceedings.

New Delhi:

A man was allegedly found dead at his residence in Delhi on Tuesday evening, with the cops suspecting it as a death by suicide. According to the police, Puneet Khurana, co-founder of a famous cafe in Delhi, was found hanging in his room in Model Town’s Kalyan Vihar area.

Khurana and his wife, Manika Jagdish Pahwa, were in the middle of getting a divorce. The duo, who owned Woodbox Cafe in the national capital, were allegedly engaged in a dispute over the business, officials said.

According to Khurana’s family, he was ‘upset’ with his wife.

The two got married in 2016, officials said.

In a disturbing 16-minute audio accessed by NDTV, Khurana and his wife can be heard fighting over the business property. “We are getting a divorce but I am still a business partner…you need to clear my dues,” Khurana’s wife said on the call.

The police have recovered Khurana’s phone and called his wife for questioning.

The case drew parallels to the recent Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash’s suicide case. The 34-year-old deputy general manager of a private firm, died by suicide in December. He left behind a 24-page suicide note, accusing his wife and her relatives of harassment. According to the victim, his wife and her family had filed a slew of false cases against him.

“The more I work hard and become better at my work, the more l and my family will be harassed and extorted and the whole legal system will encourage and help my harassers… Now, with me gone, there won’t be any money and there won’t be any reason to harass my old parents and my brother. I may have destroyed my body but it has saved everything I believe in,” he wrote.

A few days later, Subhash’s wife Nikita Singhania, and her mother and brother were arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody.