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Pune Contractor Dies By Suicide; 12 Booked For Alleged Abetment In Business Dispute

Freepressjournal | July 17, 2026 5:40 PM CST

Pune: A 65-year-old centring contractor allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Pune's Gultekdi area after reportedly facing years of mental harassment and threats linked to financial disputes in his business. Following a complaint filed by his wife, the Swargate Police have registered a case against 12 people for allegedly abetting his suicide.

The deceased has been identified as Khalil Rajjullal Sheikh (65), a resident of Ashiyana Roshan B Building near Noorani Masjid in the Dias Plot area of Gultekdi.

According to the complaint filed by his wife, Sultana Khalil Sheikh (50), the accused had allegedly been threatening, abusing and mentally harassing Khalil Sheikh over financial transactions related to his centring business from 2015 until July 15, 2026. She further alleged that one of the accused, Balasaheb Shedge, had illegally retained Sheikh's centring materials, worsening his financial losses and mental distress.

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Police said Sheikh was under severe stress due to the prolonged disputes. Before taking the extreme step, he allegedly recorded a video and left behind a suicide note. In the video, he reportedly blamed the accused for driving him to suicide and appealed that the money owed to him be returned to his family.

Sheikh allegedly died by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence.

12 Accused Booked

Based on the complaint, Swargate Police have registered a case against Vishal Kedari, Sunil Iyer, Sunil Iyer's son, Raghu Gowda, Sunil Bora, Rajan Sethiya, Hamid Bhai Sheikh, Hamid Bhai Sheikh's son, Balasaheb Shedge, Balasaheb Shedge's wife, former MLA Ravindra Dhangekar, his wife, Sham Kolapkar, and a person identified as Shubham.

The case has been registered under Sections 108, 316(2), 351(2), 352 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for alleged abetment of suicide and other related offences.

A forensic team visited the scene and collected evidence. Police have seized the alleged suicide note, video recording and other electronic evidence for forensic examination as part of the investigation.

Ravindra Dhangekar Denies Allegations

Responding to the allegations, one of the accused, Ravindra Dhangekar, described the incident as unfortunate and denied any involvement.

Speaking to the media, Dhangekar said the project, named Utkarsh, was started by five partners and had received approvals from RERA and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). He said the group had taken loans exceeding ₹5 crore from GS Mahanagar Co-operative Bank for the project.

According to Dhangekar, the project later became embroiled in political controversy after allegations surfaced that it was being developed on Waqf Board land. He claimed the matter was taken to court, where they received a favourable ruling. However, the delays caused heavy financial losses, eventually forcing him to exit the project in 2025.

Dhangekar further alleged that he too had faced mental harassment and claimed he was being falsely implicated in the suicide case. He suggested that the video recorded by Sheikh may have been made under political pressure and urged the police to conduct an impartial investigation.

Police Investigation Underway

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Milind Mohite said police received information about the incident and found a suicide note after reaching the spot.

"The body was sent for post-mortem examination. Based on the contents of the suicide note, a case has been registered at Swargate Police Station. The investigation is in progress, and further action will be taken based on the evidence," Mohite said.

Police are now examining the suicide note, video recording and other electronic evidence to determine the circumstances that led to Sheikh's death.