A dispute over funds linked to the online game PUBG allegedly led to the murder of 26-year-old Anjali Sau in Baranagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, with the prime accused Dharamvir Kumar remanded to 10 days of police custody by a local court on Saturday, 14 November 2026. Investigators say the two had met through the game roughly three years ago and that an argument over money deposited in Anjali's gaming account is suspected to have triggered the killing.

How the Case Unfolded

Police recovered Anjali's body from a flat on Shitalamata Lane, Ward No. 17 of Baranagar Municipality last Tuesday. The flat belongs to Anjali's sister and brother-in-law, who currently reside in Serampore, Hooghly district. Suspicion fell on Kumar almost immediately after CCTV footage from the premises showed him entering the flat that Tuesday and leaving in the afternoon.

Kumar, a resident of West Bengal, had fled the state following the murder. He was traced to another state and arrested on Friday, then brought back on transit remand. On Saturday, he was produced before the Barrackpore court, where investigators sought and obtained custodial remand to continue questioning and reconstruct the crime scene.

The Online Gaming Connection

According to police, Anjali and Kumar first crossed paths around three years ago during group sessions of PUBG, a popular multiplayer online battle game. The two gradually grew close and would occasionally meet at the Baranagar flat. Preliminary interrogation indicates that a substantial sum of money had been deposited in Anjali's gaming account, and investigators suspect a dispute over the sharing of those funds escalated into the fatal confrontation. Police have stated that further custodial questioning is needed to establish the exact financial dispute and determine whether any additional motive was involved.

Family Alleges Valuables Missing

Anjali's family has alleged in their formal complaint that gold ornaments and Anjali's mobile phone were missing from the flat following the incident. Police are actively verifying whether the accused took the valuables after the murder. The mobile phone, if recovered, could also yield critical digital evidence related to the gaming account transactions at the centre of the dispute.

What Investigators Are Focusing On

Investigators have stated that while the probe has made significant headway, the 10-day police custody will be used to map the exact sequence of events, trace the disputed gaming funds, and ascertain whether any accomplices were involved. The case highlights a growing pattern of financial disputes arising from real-money transactions embedded in online gaming platforms — a trend law enforcement across India has flagged with increasing concern.