Pune hotelier Ajay Chordia found hanging in his hotel

Ajay Chordia, a prominent businessman, was found hanging yesterday at one of his business group’s own properties in Chinchwad; hotel staff said he was disturbed due to financial constraints

Prominent Pune-based industrialist and group chairman of Panchshil Hotels, Ajay Ishwardas Chordia (48), was found hanging on the 11th floor of the Chinchwad-based hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton on Monday.

While no suicide note was found, cops said they did not find signs of struggle at the scene, nor did they find any abrasions or marks on the deceased victim apart from the strangulation marks.

Sources said Chordia used one of the curtain samples received by the hotel to strangulate himself. He was found hanging near the fire extinguisher at the smoking zone on the 11th floor of the hotel, one of the properties run by the Panchshil group.

Inspector B B Mudiraj,
in-charge of Pimpri police station, confirmed the incident and said investigations are on. The businessman’s daughter will arrive in Pune on Tuesday from London, and his last rites will be performed thereafter, added the police.

A senior police officer told mid-day, “Around 1.30 pm, a hotel staffer alerted Chordia’s son, Pratik, about the suicide. Pratik was shocked to see his father hanging near the hotel’s 11th-floor emergency exit window; Chordia had hanged himself with a woollen piece of cloth. The area is used for smoking.

Chordia was immediately rushed to a hospital, where the doctor declared him dead on arrival. We are scrutinising the CCTV camera footage. Hotel staffers are also being questioned about the incident. Initial investigation has revealed that Chordia met a relative around 12 noon, and was heading to his cabin on the 12th floor.”

He added, “We haven’t recovered any suicide note, but through some senior staffers, we came to know that he had seemed disturbed in the past few months due to financial issues. The time of death was estimated between 12.30 pm and 1 pm. The post-mortem report is awaited, but prima facie, the cause of death seems to be strangulation.”

The death has shocked the family. The hotelier’s brother, builder Atul Chordia, said,“It is unbelievable that a strong man like Ajay has ended his life. Our family is in trauma.”

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