A CCTV video has surfaced showing Puneet Khurana, a Delhi café owner who died by suicide, engaged in a heated exchange with his estranged wife, Manika Pahwa. The video reveals Pahwa accusing Khurana of ruining her life, using expletive-laden language. She is heard threatening to “create a scene” in his neighborhood, saying, “They keep crying on the phone.”
Khurana, 40, was found hanging in his room in Model Town’s Kalyan Vihar on New Year’s Eve. Prior to his death, he had spoken to Pahwa over the phone, a conversation he recorded. The 15-minute audio clip captures the couple arguing about their co-owned bakery, For God’s Cake. During the call, Pahwa allegedly called him a “beggar,” expressed disdain for him, and threatened violence if he crossed her path. When Khurana dismissed her grievances, he reportedly asked her, “Just tell me what you want.”
The couple, married in 2016, had initially launched Woodbox Café together. However, their relationship soured within two years, leading them to seek a divorce by mutual consent.
Khurana’s family has accused Pahwa of making five demands as part of the divorce settlement, including ₹70,000 per month and legal fees. They also allege she threatened to file false charges against Khurana and his family if her demands were not met. According to his mother, Pahwa’s alleged harassment caused Khurana immense distress. She claimed her son kept his struggles private to avoid upsetting his family, ultimately pushing him to take the extreme step.
Khurana left behind a video on his phone, in which he reportedly accused Pahwa of pressuring him over property and business matters. This evidence is now with Delhi Police as part of the ongoing investigation.
Just a week before his death, Pahwa had shared a cryptic social media post claiming she had endured “toxicity and narcissistic abuse” and was now free. She described her alleged abusers as “insecure cowards” and emphasized that virtues like kindness and love outweighed material wealth.
Khurana’s death echoes the recent case of Atul Subhash, a Bengaluru techie who took his own life last month. Subhash, a deputy general manager at a private firm, left a 24-page suicide note accusing his wife and her family of harassment. He claimed they had filed false cases against him and his family, driving him to despair.
In his note, Subhash wrote, “The more I work hard and become better at my work, the more my family and I will be harassed and extorted… Now, with me gone, there won’t be any money and no reason to harass my old parents and brother.”
Subhash’s wife, Nikita Singhania, along with her mother and brother, were subsequently arrested and placed in 14-day judicial custody.
