Dehradun Builder Dies By Suicide, Blames South Africa's Gupta Brothers In Note

A prominent builder in Dehradun allegedly died by suicide by jumping from an under-construction building on the city's Rajpur Road, sending shockwaves through the community and highlighting severe underlying issues of threats and financial disputes.

Sahni, also known as Baba Sahni, reportedly left behind a note addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, claiming he was under severe depression due to ongoing threats and financial disputes with several businessmen, including the Gupta brothers from Africa.

The note revealed that Sahni had been facing severe harassment that exacerbated his depression and led to his drastic decision.

Following the incident, Dehradun police swiftly arrested Ajay Gupta and Anil Gupta and took them into custody for questioning.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dehradun, Ajay Singh, said, "The builder's son filed an FIR about the suicide. After that, the Gupta brothers - Ajay Gupta and Anil Gupta - were detained based on the evidence. It was found that Sahni was put under unnecessary pressure in his business partnership. He was threatened. Tomorrow, we will present the accused before the court."

Ajay Gupta and Anil Gupta are well-known in South Africa for their involvement in large-scale corruption and state capture scandals. The Guptas owned several businesses that had lucrative contracts with South African government departments and state-owned corporations.

Former President of South Africa Jacob Zuma faced numerous legal issues before, during, and after his presidency, including rape charges, embezzlements, corruption, and fraud, to name a few.

The connection of the Gupta family is the most conspicuous of all the corruption charges against him.

Zuma, who left office in 2018 dogged by corruption allegations, was convicted of contempt of court during a case in 2021 and sentenced to 15 months. He eventually served less than three months in jail.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)