3 min readDehradunOct 27, 2026 02:09 PM ISTThe deceased in the latest case was a resident of Gobindgarh in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib district.A real-estate businessman from Punjab was found dead at an under-construction building in Dehradun on Monday, with messages allegedly sent out before his death naming another builder and mentioning financial distress.The 52-year-old’s death has brought renewed attention to allegations of business pressure in the city’s property sector, where the death of a prominent builder in May 2024 had led to the arrest of two businessmen on charges of abetment of suicide.The deceased in the latest case, Pankaj Mittal, was a resident of Gobindgarh in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib district. According to Dehradun Police, information about a man lying dead at an under-construction building near ATS Colony, in the Raipur police station area, was received on Monday.Police personnel who reached the spot found Mittal with serious injuries to his head and face, and significant blood loss. Their preliminary assessment suggested that he had died after falling from the building’s fifth floor. The police said the circumstances surrounding his death would be established through forensic examination, post-mortem report and other evidence.Separately, it was learnt that Mittal had sent out messages before his death alleging financial distress and accusing another builder of withholding money and causing him harassment. His relatives have also raised allegations against the said builder.Police have said they are examining all aspects of the case. The initial police statement did not confirm that the death was a suicide.The incident comes over two years after the death of Dehradun-based builder Satendra Singh Sahni, also known as Baba Sahni, in May 2024. His death led to the arrest of businessmen Ajay Gupta and Anil Gupta after Sahni’s son accused them of threatening and pressuring his father over business dealings.Story continues below this adOn May 31, 2024, the case brought the Gupta family, whose members had faced allegations of corruption in South Africa, into the spotlight in Uttarakhand.According to the report, Sahni died on May 24, 2024, after jumping from a building in Dehradun. A complaint by his son, Ranveer Singh Sahni, and a note purportedly written by the deceased named the Guptas. The note, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, accused the two men of coercion and interference in Sahni’s property projects.Sahni and the two businessmen had been involved in two housing development projects. His son alleged that the Guptas were pressuring his father to transfer the projects into their names and that a complaint lodged against him in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, had added to the pressure.Police registered a case of abetment of suicide and arrested the Guptas. The allegations against them were being investigated.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdAn Award-winning journalist covering the state of Uttarakhand, Vidheesha Kuntamalla has reported on education, policy and social justice. She has broken news and written investigative stories on education, some of which have prompted responses from central universities and government authorities. She uses the Right to Information Act as a reporting tool and enjoys telling people-driven stories through long-form journalism. Vidheesha joined The Indian Express’s Delhi City team in 2023, where she has been part of the education coverage in the newsroom, reporting on policy, institutions, and issues affecting students and communities. Her journalism career began in 2020 as a freelance journalist after she left a career in civil engineering. She covered her home states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, focusing on gender, social justice, and politics. Vidheesha Kuntamalla Qualification, Degrees: Master of Science in Quantity Surveying from Kingston University, London Awards and Recognition: Vidheesha won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2024 for her long-form story on India’s first case of passive euthanasia. ... Read More Tags:DehradunPunjabAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogIndia vs New Zealand LIVE Score, 3rd T20I: NZ 174/3 (18 overs); Kiwis eye 20017 minutes agoIsrael Election 2026 LIVE Updates: Polls suggest tight race between Netanyahu and his main rival17 minutes agoCyclone Arnab Tracker Live Updates: Odisha, Andhra Pradesh shut schools, ban fishing as storm approaches eastern coast19 minutes agoCBSE Class 10, 12 Schedule 2027 Live Updates: Exam dates likely to be announced soon22 minutes agoIndia News Live Updates, 27 October 2026: Supreme Court defers journalist Siddique Kappan’s plea for passport release to November 229 minutes agoAdvertisement