The family of Puneet Khurana, a bakery owner in Delhi, has alleged that his estranged wife, Manika Pahwa, and her family subjected him to mental harassment, which led to his death by suicide. Puneet, 40, was found dead at his home in Model Town on Tuesday. According to his family, Puneet had been distressed due to ongoing disputes with his wife, with whom he co-owned the bakery For God’s Cake and a now-closed eatery, Woodbox Cafe. The couple, married since 2016, had separated two years ago, and divorce proceedings were underway.
In a statement to the media, Puneet’s sister claimed, “Manika and her family mentally tortured my brother, pressuring him over business disputes and daring him to end his life. He recorded a 59-minute video before his death, detailing the harassment, which has been handed over to the police.” She also alleged that Manika had repeatedly demanded her share of the bakery business despite prior agreements during divorce proceedings. Additionally, the sister claimed Manika hacked Puneet’s Instagram account and misused it to create further trouble.
Puneet’s mother also expressed her grief, stating that her son never shared the extent of his troubles to protect the family from distress. “He was broken inside. She tortured him so much that he felt compelled to take this extreme step. We want justice for my son,” she said. Delhi police confirmed the allegations, stating the victim’s father reported marital discord as the primary issue. DCP Bhisham Singh said, “We have taken the video recording into custody. A post-mortem will be conducted, and appropriate action will follow based on the findings.”
The tragic incident has drawn comparisons to a similar case involving Atul Subhash, a techie from Uttar Pradesh, who also recorded a detailed video and left a note before dying by suicide due to alleged harassment from his estranged wife.
