NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police is likely to question the family members , close friends and the in-laws of Puneet Khurana, a cafe owner who died by suicide in northwest Delhi’s Model Town area, sources said on Friday.
The probe gained momentum after videos and audio clips, purportedly linked to the case, began circulating on social media. Authorities have sent these digital files, along with Khurana’s mobile phone, to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis.
“We are focusing on understanding the circumstances that may have led to his extreme step. Insights from those close to him are crucial,” said an official privy to the probe.
Police sources earlier said Khurana had recorded a 54-minute video in his mobile phone before hanging himself.
A 2.5-minute clip from the video is being shared on social media in which Khurana can be heard saying that he was depressed and also listing the reasons for his depression.
A key video, dated October 12, 2023, accessed by TNIE, captured Khurana in conversation with his father-in-law, Jagdish Pahwa, regarding a Rs 2 crore payment for a house registered in his wife’s name.
Khurana’s family alleged that Pahwa later reneged on this promise, escalating the tension between the two families. The couple, married in 2016, had also been embroiled in disputes over their shared business assets.
Khurana, co-owner of the bakery chain, Woodbox Cafe, was found dead at his Model Town’s Kalyan Vihar residence on December 31.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)