Indian-origin Microsoft engineer found dead in Silicon Valley office

Microsoft

A 35-year-old Indian-origin software engineer has been found dead at Microsoft’s campus in Silicon Valley, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The engineer, Pratik Pandey, reportedly used his office access card to enter the building on the evening of August 19. His body was discovered inside the premises in the early hours of the following day.

According to officials, the Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office is examining the case, but the cause of death has not been determined yet. Police reached the site at around 2 am on August 20 and said there were no signs of suspicious activity. The incident is not being investigated as a crime.

Pandey had been working with Microsoft since 2020. He was part of the team developing Microsoft Fabric, a data analytics service that rivals platforms such as Snowflake. He directly reported to Scott Guthrie, executive vice president for cloud and artificial intelligence at the company.

Before joining Microsoft, Pandey had worked at Apple and Walmart. He was an alumnus of San Jose State University, where he completed his higher studies.

His family described him as a “joyful soul with a radiant smile,” and said he had a passion for soccer. Colleagues and friends have also shared messages online, remembering him as both a skilled professional and a supportive friend.

Community organisations in California are assisting his family, who live in India, with arrangements to send his body back home.

Microsoft has not issued a public comment on the incident so far. The sudden death has left co-workers and the local Indian community shocked, while officials continue to investigate the circumstances.