Pune Accenture Employee Death: Father Alleges Cyber Extortion, Fake Police Officer Threatened Drug Case

Reported by Mubarak Ansari

Kharadi, 15th October 2026: Pune police are investigating a suspected cyber-extortion angle in the death of a 22-year-old Accenture employee after his father alleged that a caller posing as a police officer threatened to implicate him in a false drug case and repeatedly demanded money.

The deceased, Shikhar Saxena, was originally from Haridwar in Uttarakhand and had moved to Pune in July for work. He died on October 1. Following a complaint by his father, Kumargaurav Saxena, 46, police registered an FIR on October 14 against a man who identified himself as Ajay Kumar Bhatia and another unidentified person.

The case has been registered under Sections 108, 308(6), 351(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, covering allegations of abetment of suicide, extortion-related threats, criminal intimidation and acts committed with common intention.

Investigating officer Police Sub-Inspector Santosh Mhetre said police were examining the possibility of a cyber scam while also pursuing other leads in the case.

Caller allegedly changed his account of knowing Shikhar

According to the father’s complaint, Shikhar had completed his BTech studies in Himachal Pradesh before joining Accenture in Magarpatta, Hadapsar. He arrived in Pune on July 23 and moved into paying-guest accommodation in Kharadi on September 1.

The complaint states that on September 30, Shikhar’s mother received a call from a man who angrily demanded to speak to her son. When she said Shikhar was in Pune, the caller disconnected.

His father subsequently called the number. The man allegedly introduced himself as Ajay Kumar Bhatia, claimed to be Shikhar’s friend and said he wanted a PDF document from him. When asked what document he needed, the caller reportedly said Shikhar knew about it.

During another conversation, the man allegedly claimed that he had met Shikhar while playing PUBG online. The father challenged this account, saying his son did not play the game, following which the caller ended the conversation, according to the FIR.

The family also learnt that the same caller had contacted one of Shikhar’s acquaintances to obtain his current phone number.

Threats of arrest over alleged drug case

The father alleged that the caller later claimed to be a police sub-inspector posted in Sector 29, Gurgaon, Haryana. He purportedly said a complaint had been received accusing Shikhar of supplying or selling drugs to women in Pune.

According to the complaint, the man threatened Shikhar’s arrest and demanded an active phone number through which he could reach him.

The alleged drug involvement was a claim made by the caller; the FIR records the father’s allegation that his son was being threatened with implication in a false case.

Unable to contact Shikhar, the family asked his maternal uncle, who lives in Pune, to check on him. The accommodation’s owner reportedly said Shikhar had left at around 5.30 p.m. on September 30. His uncle later visited and found him absent.

Following an unsuccessful search, the uncle approached Kharadi police, where an earlier case concerning his disappearance was registered under BNS Section 140(3).

The family was informed of Shikhar’s death the following morning. He was taken to Sassoon General Hospital, where he was declared dead, according to the complaint.

Family reports finding transfers and messages on laptop

The father stated that a subsequent examination of Shikhar’s laptop by his maternal uncle revealed WhatsApp activity dated September 29, transfers to different bank accounts and screenshots of those transactions allegedly sent to Bhatia. The family also reported finding suspicious chats.

The FIR does not specify the total amount allegedly transferred.

The father further reported receiving a call on October 13 from another number. The caller claimed to be from a courier office and asked about Shikhar and a purported returned parcel. He disconnected when questioned. The father suspects a connection between this call and the earlier caller, but that link remains under investigation.

Police trying to unlock victim’s phone

Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Chavan, in-charge of Kharadi police station, said investigators were trying to unlock Shikhar’s password-protected mobile phone and trace how he came into contact with the suspects.

Chavan said preliminary findings indicated that the accused was not a police officer. Police are searching for the suspect, who is believed to be residing outside Maharashtra, and are investigating whether the case involves cybercrime. The probe is also focused on establishing how the victim and the accused first connected.