Mumbai deliveryman commits suicide due to harassment by colleagues, 6 arrested

Based on phone messages and younger brother’s statement, police registered a case under section 108 (abetment of suicide) and other relevant sections of BNS.

The Bhandup police have arrested six men for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 23-year-old delivery partner working with an e-commerce company in Mumbai. The victim died by suicide at his home on July 2 after reportedly facing sustained harassment from colleagues and acquaintances.

The deceased had been working as a delivery agent in Mulund West since 2023 and lived in Bhandup. (PTI/ Representational)

The deceased had been working as a delivery agent in Mulund West since 2023 and lived in Bhandup with his father and two younger brothers, aged 20 and 15. Police said two co-workers—Sonu Yadav and Chetan Gautam—allegedly pressured him to cancel customer orders. When he resisted, they harassed and assaulted him, resulting in his work ID being blocked on multiple occasions.

“About a month ago, Yadav and Gautam turned up at the victim’s home in an inebriated state around 1 AM. They verbally abused and threatened him, claiming he owed them ₹75,000. Fearing for his son’s safety, the victim’s father paid the amount,” said a police officer.

In his statement, the victim’s younger brother told police that the deceased had grown visibly anxious and withdrawn over the past fortnight. He had confided that the duo frequently beat and abused him for not cooperating. In addition, another acquaintance, Omkar More, from whom the victim had borrowed ₹30,000, was allegedly threatening and abusing him for failing to repay the money.

On July 2, the victim returned home looking visibly disturbed. He reportedly told his family that he was being repeatedly harassed through calls and messages. That evening, when no one was home—his father was at work and his brothers had stepped out to visit a doctor—the victim ended his life.

The family discovered the incident when they returned and found him hanging. They alerted Bhandup police, who sent the body to Rajawadi Hospital for post-mortem.

Based on the phone messages and the younger brother’s statement, police registered a case under section 108 (abetment of suicide) and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Those arrested have been identified as Sonu Yadav, Chetan Gautam, Aniket Ghadi, Gautam Dhekle, Omkar More, and Ganesh Nikalje. They were produced in court on Friday and remanded in police custody till July 8, said senior inspector Balasaheb Pawar.