‘Used to work late into night’: Indian-origin Microsoft techie Pratik Pandey dead at Silicon Valley campus

35-year-old Indian techie Pratik Pandey found dead in Silicon Valley campus.

Pratik Pandey, a 35-year-old software engineer working for Microsoft, was found dead in the office. Bloomberg reported that Pandey badged into the office on the evening of August 19 and was found dead in the early hours of the following morning — citing a family member who has spoken with Microsoft and requested anonymity. The cause of death is still pending, according to the Santa Clara County medical examiner.He was known to frequently work late into the night, the family member said. The Bloomberg report said Microsoft is still investigating the death and did not issue any statement. “A joyful soul with a radiant smile, Pratik loved playing soccer, great son & friend,” reads an announcement for a viewing service in the Bay Area.Police responded to the scene at about 2 am on August 20. They found “no signs of any suspicious activity or behavior,” and the death is not being treated as a criminal investigation, according to a spokesperson for Mountain View Police.Pandey worked on Microsoft’s Fabric product, which is used to analyze data and competes with companies like Snowflake Inc. He reported up through cloud and AI chief Scott Guthrie, an executive vice president. Before joining Microsoft in 2020, Pandey worked stints at companies including Walmart Inc. and Apple Inc., according to his LinkedIn profile. He was an alumnus of San Jose State University.Memories and well wishes about Pandey flooded social media this week as the news spread. The family and community members have been working to get his body returned to India, where his parents live.