Owner of famous cafe in Delhi dies by suicide amid business dispute with wife

The two got married in 2016

Puneet Khurana, co-founder of Woodbox Café in Delhi, was found dead at his residence in Kalyan Vihar, Model Town, on Tuesday evening. Police suspect the 34-year-old died by suicide.

According to NDTV, Khurana and his wife, Manika Jagdish Pahwa, were in the middle of getting a divorce. “The duo were allegedly engaged in a dispute over the business,” officials told NDTV.

According to Khurana's family, he was “upset” with his wife. The two got married in 2016. Khurana was found hanging in his room. The police recovered his phone during the course of the investigation. Police told NDTV that Khurana and his wife, Manika Jagdish Pahwa, were filing for divorce. It was also learnt that the couple was into a business tussle regarding their café.

According to a 16-minute audio clip that investigators were able to access, Khurana and his wife are reportedly fighting over a business dispute. Pahwa can be heard demanding her share of money because, “We are getting divorced, but I am still a business partner,” she said.

His wife, Manika, has been summoned by the police to be questioned as they investigate the circumstances surrounding Khurana’s death.

Similarities have been made between the case and the recent suicide of techie Atul Subhash of Bengaluru, who left behind a 24-page note accusing his wife and her family of harassment. Subhash, 34, committed suicide in December after he claimed that his in-laws had been torturing him emotionally and legally. His brother, mother, and wife, Nikita Singhania, were taken into custody following his passing..