Pune techie found dead after missing complaint, family flags fake drug case threats

A 22-year-old IT professional allegedly died by suicide in Pune earlier this month, with his family now suspecting that he was being harassed by cyber fraudsters.Police are investigating whether the man was threatened with being implicated in a false criminal case and coerced into transferring money shortly before his death.Shikhar Saxena, who had joined IT giant Accenture in Pune around three months ago, died on October 1 after a fall from a high-rise residential building in the city.His father, Kumar Gaurav Saxena, has alleged that unidentified callers repeatedly demanded money from his son and threatened to implicate him in a drugs-related case. The suspected modus operandi resembles the so-called "drug parcel scam," in which fraudsters extort money from their targets by convincing them that illegal substances have been found inside parcels linked to them.Investigators are examining whether Shikhar was targeted using a similar scheme. According to an FIR registered on the basis of his father's complaint, a caller attempted to contact the techie on September 30. As Shikhar's phone was switched off, the call was diverted to his mother.When his mother told the caller that her son was in Pune, the person disconnected. The accused subsequently contacted Shikhar's father, initially identifying himself as Ajay Kumar.He tried to pose as a friend known to Shikhar through a popular online game. However, when Kumar Gaurav said that his son never played the game, the caller hung up.He later made a fresh attempt to establish contact, posing as a sub-inspector from Haryana this time. The caller told Shikhar's father that his son was wanted in a case involving sales of illegal drugs.Alarmed by the conversation, Kumar Gaurav travelled to Pune on the night of September 30. Shikhar's uncle, who too lives in the city, also approached the police after his nephew could not be traced.A missing-person case was initially registered, and appeals seeking information about him were circulated on social media. The search ended the following morning.At around 6.30 am on October 1, Shikhar was found dead on the complex of a 27-storey residential building, around one kilometre from his paying guest accommodation.MONEY TRANSFERS SURFACE AS KEY LEADSThe family’s suspicions of online extortion deepened after they examined Shikhar's laptop and found screenshots of financial transactions dated September 29.According to the FIR, the records showed money being transferred to different bank accounts through transactions associated with "Ajay Kumar," who was one of his WhatsApp contacts.The precise amount transferred and the identities of the recipients could not be established from the information provided in the police complaint.Investigators are examining the transactions to determine who received the money and whether the transfers were linked to the alleged threats.The family received another suspicious call on October 13, when a man claiming to work at a courier office contacted Shikhar's father and asked about him.When Kumar Gaurav started questioning him, the caller once again disconnected the call.The next day, he lodged a police complaint in Pune accusing two unidentified persons of extortion, criminal intimidation and abetment of suicide.An FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 108, 308(6) and 351(4).COPS EXAMINING MULTIPLE ANGLESSenior Police Inspector Sanjay Chavan said cyber fraud was one of the multiple angles being investigated in connection with Shikhar's death.The police are also analysing the mobile numbers and bank accounts used by the callers, the official said.Investigators are also attempting to unlock Shikhar's mobile phone, which could yield further evidence. The suspects are believed to be operating from outside Maharashtra, Chavan said.A native of Uttarakhand, Shikhar completed his BTech from the National Institute of Technology in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur before securing a campus placement at Accenture.He had joined the company in July as an Advanced Engineering Analyst and worked at its Magarpatta City office.His father, who is a government official in Uttarakhand, described him as a talented and well-mannered young man and demanded the arrest of those who mentally tortured him.- Ends