35-year-old Indian Microsoft engineer found dead at Silicon Valley campus

Pratik Pandey, a 35-year-old software engineer at Microsoft, was found dead at the firm's Silicon Valley office. Police ruled out foul play as family and colleagues mourned his sudden passing

A 35-year-old Indian Microsoft software engineer, Pratik Pandey, was found dead at the company’s Silicon Valley campus after he badged into the office on the evening of August 19. His body was discovered in the early hours of the following day, reported Bloomberg.

 

Cause of death not known

 

The cause of death remains unclear, the Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office said, reported Bloomberg. Police arrived at the scene around 2 am on August 20 and confirmed there were no signs of suspicious activity. The case is not being treated as a criminal investigation.

 

According to Bloomberg, Microsoft has not commented on the death, although the company is said to be conducting an internal review.

 

Career at Microsoft and beyond

 

Pandey joined Microsoft in 2020 and worked on its Fabric product, a data analytics platform that competes with Snowflake Inc. He reported to Scott Guthrie, the company’s executive vice-president of cloud and AI.

 

Before joining Microsoft, Pandey worked at Walmart Inc. and Apple Inc. He was an alumnus of San Jose State University.

 

Pandey’s family described him as “a joyful soul with a radiant smile” who loved playing soccer and was a devoted son and friend, reported Bloomberg.

 

Tributes pour in, body to be flown to India

 

Friends, colleagues, and community members have shared tributes on social media following the news. The family, based in India, is working with community groups to repatriate his body.  (With agency inputs)