Body of 24-year-old who went missing from Khar home on Sunday night found washed ashore near Bandra fort; CCTV footage from the bridge shows he made his cab stop midway before going over the side rails
Pawanjeet Kohli took a taxi from his Pali Hill home to the Sea Link, where he jumped to death before the cabbie’s eyes
To his friends, Pawanjeet Singh Kohli, had always seemed like a happy person. None of them had a clue that the 24-year-old may have been nursing a broken heart, and was secretly looking for ways to end his life after his former girlfriend got engaged. His parents were in for a shock when the police told them he had jumped off the Bandra-Worli Sea Link on Monday morning.
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Pawanjeet Kohli
To an outsider, it must have seemed like Pawanjeet had everything going for him. He was the son of a well-to-do businessman and lived in the posh Bandra neighbourhood of Pali Hill. Only recently, his father gave him a brand new Audi for his birthday.
Preliminary investigations indicate, though, that the 24-year-old may have been struggling with depression and a broken heart. "So far, investigations have revealed that he had been in a relationship with a girl who recently got engaged, which may have been the reason he decided to take the extreme step," said a police officer.
While browsing through his cell phone records, cops found that Pawanjeet had searched online for the fastest way to commit suicide.
Also read: Youth who flung himself off Bandra 5-star hotel was depressed, say friends
"The police scanned his phone and learnt that Pawanjeet had looked up different ways to commit suicide. He searched for the fastest ways to kill himself," said sources close to the case.
No one had a clue
Even his friends had not suspected how bad his depression was. One of Pawanjeet's friends, who did not wish to be named, said, "He was a very cheerful person and used to be very happy in life. It's shocking for all of us to hear that he is no more. I had last met him just two to three days ago, and he did not look depressed at all. When I asked him how life was going, he replied happily that all was fine. I was shocked when I a friend told me that he had committed suicide."
Also read - Mumbai: Student posts suicide tutorial on FB Live before jumping to death from Bandra 5-star hotel
The 24-year-old went missing on Sunday evening, telling his family he would be home soon. He had left his phone and new car behind. When he didn't return home by the next morning, his parents filed a missing person's complaint with the Khar police, and also circulated his picture among friends and relatives.
Identified by kada
Meanwhile, the Bandra police had just discovered a body at Bandra Fort and recovered it with the help of the fire brigade. While scanning missing complaints registered recently, the cops came across Pawanjeet's case. They called his parents, who identified Pawanjeet by the kada (bangle) on his right hand and black string tied around his ankle.
Also read - Mumbai: Alert staffers foil man's dramatic attempt to jump off Bandra-Worli Sea Link
"On Sunday night, he left his house and caught a cab to Bandra-Worli Sea Link. At around 3 am, once the car was on the sea link, he asked the driver to stop midway, claiming that he needed to puke. The driver watched aghast, as Pawanjeet instead climbed over the railing and jumped into the sea," said a police officer. Pawanjeet's last rites were conducted on Tuesday evening after the post-mortem, confirmed another officer, adding, "An ADR has been registered in the matter."
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