Delhi café owner follows Bengaluru techie, ends life amid divorce issue with wife

Puneet Khurana, a Delhi cafe owner, tragically died by suicide amid a bitter divorce. His family claims harassment and threats from his wife’s family

New Delhi: Just days after a Bengaluru techie took his own life over alleged harassment by his wife amid divorce and child custody proceedings, another tragic case has emerged from the Model Town area of Delhi.

Puneet Khurana, a 39-year-old cafe owner, was found dead at his residence in Kalyan Vihar on Tuesday afternoon.

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Puneet, who was fighting an acrimonious divorce case with his wife Manika, reportedly faced continuous threats and pressure, according to his family and friends.

The couple had been married for eight years and were partners in their cafe business. However, they had been living apart for the last two years following frequent disputes.

Detailing the events leading to the incident, one of Puneet’s friends said, “He called us on Monday evening, saying he was under immense stress and needed to talk. He expressed concern that Manika’s family might harm his father and other relatives. We stayed with him till 2 a.m., trying to reassure him that justice and the law were on his side. He seemed very scared despite our efforts to console him.”

Another friend added, “Puneet was a strong person, but the threats targeting his parents placed him under immense pressure.” Puneet’s sister echoed similar sentiments, revealing that despite the settlement of financial and business disputes between the couple, he continued to receive threats from his wife’s family.

Before taking the extreme step, Puneet reportedly recorded a video and an audio clip. While police have not officially confirmed the existence of the video, a 20-minute audio recording has surfaced, capturing a conversation between Puneet and his wife late at night.

In the audio, Puneet is heard discussing disputes over their shared business and financial matters. Towards the end of the conversation, he threatens to expose the truth on YouTube the following morning.

On Tuesday afternoon, Puneet was found hanging in his home. Family members rushed him to a hospital, but doctors declared him brought dead.

The police have taken Puneet’s body for postmortem and seized his mobile phone for further investigation. Officials are examining the evidence, including the audio clip, to ascertain the events leading to his death.

The couple, who had no children, were in the process of divorcing with mutual consent. The ongoing investigation will focus on the claims of harassment and threats, as well as the content of Puneet’s recordings.

Puneet’s tragic demise has once again highlighted the severe emotional toll of marital disputes and the need for timely intervention and support.