A 34-year-old branch manager of Bandhan Bank allegedly died by suicide in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, after reportedly facing severe distress over a suspected customer fraud case. The deceased, identified as Anurag Bajpai, managed the bank’s gold loan branch in Govind Nagar and was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his rented accommodation in the Babupurwa area. Police recovered a suicide note and an application addressed to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Babupurwa, from the premises, prompting an official investigation into the circumstances leading to his death.
Messages Sent to Wife Allege Customer Fraud
Bajpai, originally from Bangarmau in the Unnao district, had been residing in Kanpur’s Kidwai Nagar locality for about two years. According to his father, Bajpai sent eleven text messages to his wife between 2:52 pm and 2:56 pm on Wednesday, asserting his innocence and placing the blame on a customer named Nitin Gaur. In the texts, he stated that he had done nothing wrong and alleged that the fraud had been committed under Gaur’s name.
The messages revealed that the dispute had been developing since October 7, leaving Bajpai deeply distressed as he felt that no one was willing to hear his side. He expressed frustration that he was being held accountable for the customer-related matter despite his maintained innocence. His wife saw the texts around 3:10 pm and attempted to seek clarification, but received no response to her subsequent queries.
Discovery of the Body in Locked Room
Alarmed by his continued silence, the family alerted relatives and reached out to the bank management. A bank employee dispatched to check on Bajpai found the rented room bolted from the inside. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the local police were alerted to intervene.
Police personnel arrived at the scene and forced open the door in the presence of family members and a forensic team, discovering Bajpai hanging from the ceiling fan. Alongside the suicide note, investigators recovered a formal application addressed to the local ACP detailing the alleged fraud and the subsequent mental strain it caused him. The contents of both documents are slated for detailed examination.
Police Launch Probe into Financial Transactions
The authorities have sent the body for a post-mortem examination, with formal legal proceedings set to proceed once the family files an official complaint. Babupurwa police station in-charge Neeraj Ojha confirmed that investigators will scrutinize the text exchanges, recovered documents, and transactional records to establish the sequence of events. Officials emphasized that the allegations against Nitin Gaur remain unverified at this stage and will be investigated as part of the broader inquiry.
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