New Delhi: In a 59-minute video message, Puneet Khurana, the 40-year-old cafe owner from Delhi who died by suicide, alleged that his estranged wife Manika Pahwa and his in-laws forced him to end his life. The video message was moments before Khurana allegedly died by suicide on New Year’s Eve. He was found hanging in his room in Model Town’s Kalyan Vihar area. Khurana spoke to his estranged wife on Monday night, hours before taking the extreme step.
Khurana had claimed that divorce proceedings started by mutual consent and then things turned bitter with Pahwa. The Delhi-based businessman, in the video message, Khurana alleged that his wife and in-laws pressured him for fulfilling financial demands which were against the terms and conditions signed in the court, reported NDTV.
“I am about to commit suicide because I am extremely tortured by my in-laws and my wife. We have already filed for mutual divorce on certain terms and conditions. Obviously, when it comes to mutual divorce we have signed some conditions in court. We have to fulfil those conditions within the period of 180 days. But my in-laws and my wife are pressurising me with a new set of conditions which are beyond my scope,” Khurana said in his video message as reported by the media house.
“They are asking for another Rs 10 lakh which I don’t have the capacity to pay. I cannot ask my parents as they already have paid enough,” he added.
Notably. the couple got married in 2016 and within two years, their marriage started to become sour. They approached the court and filed a divorce by mutual consent.
Allegations By Puneet Khurana’s Family:
After Khurana’s death, his family blamed his estranged wife for pushing him to take the extreme step. “The father of the deceased, Puneet Khurana, said that his son was going through marital discord and alleged that his daughter-in-law harassed him, which led to his suicide,” Bhisham Singh, DCP North West Delhi, told ANI.
“We have seized the deceased man’s mobile phone, and the family’s claims are being verified. An inquiry is underway with both families participating in the investigation. Manika’s family has made counter-allegations, and a divorce case is also ongoing,” he added.
According to the sister of the deceased, Puneet’s wife, along with her sister and parents, was mentally torturing and harassing him, and Puneet had also recorded a video in which he mentioned the details of the harassment he had faced.
CCTV Footage Of Heated Argument Between Khurana and His Wife:
Meanwhile, CCTV footage of a heated argument between Khurana and his estranged wife surfaced online. In the purported video, Khurana’s wife, Manika Pahwa, could be heard abusing and threatening him.
In the video, the Delhi bakery owner and his estranged wife were sitting in a room and soon she started shouting at him. “I will go to your locality and create a scene. They keep crying on the phone,” Pahwa is heard saying. While abusing Khurana, his estranged wife said that her life was also ruined.
