Paranormal Society founder Gaurav Tiwari committed suicide, say police

Three days after Indian Paranormal Society founder and CEO Gaurav Tiwari was found dead at his flat in Dwarka Sector-19, the police on Monday said he committed “suicide” and there was no “foul play”.

“We do not suspect any foul play since all his family members, including his parents and wife, were present at the flat when he hanged himself in the bathroom from an iron rod used for hanging clothes with a dupatta on Friday morning,” Deependra Pathak, joint commissioner of police (southwest), said.

Read: A Delhiite, in letter and in ‘spirit’

Though investigators are yet to zero in on the exact reason, police are connecting Tiwari’s alleged suicide to various circumstances, including personal and family issues. No case has been registered yet.

A police officer privy to the inquest said for the past 5-6 months, Tiwari, who once rose to fame after featuring in TV shows such as MTV’s Girl’s Night Out with VJ Ranvijay and Haunted Weekends with Sunny Leone, had no big projects related to his paranormal research lined up for the near future.

“We have learnt Tiwari’s family was not happy with his ghostbusting activities because it was not financially productive,” said the officer. Tiwari hardly shared anything about his projects with the family.

Read: Ghostbuster Gaurav Tiwari found dead. Father hints at ‘negative forces’

Police sources said the responsibility of supporting the family fell on Tiwary’s father Uday, who is the director of a startup.

An investigating officer said hours before his death, Tiwari had an argument with his father over his habit of leaving home without informing anybody in the family and staying out till late in the night.

Around 10.30 pm on Thursday Tiwari left home and returned around 1.30 am. “Tiwari’s father spoke to him after he returned home,” the officer said.

When HT asked Tiwari’s father if his son was depressed because of any new paranormal project, he said, “My son was probing a case where a girl in west Delhi’s Janakpuri was apparently possessed. He had gone to meet the girl the night before his death. My son told his wife a negative force was pulling him towards itself and he was trying to control it. She ignored it thinking he was depressed due to workload.”