The death of a young YouTuber in East Delhi has sparked tension in the locality after his body was discovered under mysterious circumstances. The man, who had been missing for two days, was found in a vacant plot in the Patparganj industrial area, prompting protests by family members who suspect foul play and alleged that the valuables he was carrying had gone missing.
Body discovered after missing complaint
According to HT, the deceased has been identified as Pushpendra, also known as Akash, a 31-year-old resident of School Block in Mandawali in East Delhi. According to police, he had been missing since Saturday after leaving his home, following which his family lodged a missing person complaint.
Police said they received information on March 8 about an unidentified male body lying on a vacant plot owned by the Delhi Development Authority near the Telco T-point in the Patparganj industrial area. A police team reached the spot soon after and initiated inquest proceedings while crime and forensic teams examined the scene.
The body was later identified as Pushpendra on Monday. Officials said that, prima facie, there were no visible signs suggesting homicide or foul play from the condition of the body, though the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem report.
Pushpendra reportedly ran a garment showroom with his younger brother in Mandawali and was active on social media, using platforms such as YouTube to promote his clothing business and fashion-related content. His family said he had more than four lakh followers across social media channels.
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Family alleges robbery, stages protest
Despite the preliminary police findings, Pushpendra’s family has strongly alleged foul play. According to relatives, he had left home carrying around ₹1.5 lakh in cash, a gold ring, a gold chain and an iPhone, all of which they claim were missing when his body was found. Angered by the circumstances surrounding his death, family members and friends gathered outside the Mandawali police station and staged a protest, accusing authorities of not acting swiftly enough after he was reported missing.
Relatives also claimed that a friend who was with Pushpendra around the time he went missing may have information about the incident and demanded that the police question him thoroughly. They suspect that he may have been poisoned and robbed before his body was abandoned at the vacant plot. Police have sent the body for post-mortem examination at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and said further action will depend on the forensic findings. Officials added that all possible angles are being examined as part of the investigation.
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The incident has triggered concern in the locality, with residents urging authorities to conduct a transparent probe. For now, the exact cause of Pushpendra’s death remains unclear, and investigators are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine whether the case involves foul play.
