A former Oxford student jumped to his death in London because he was accused of sending a prank email, an inquest has been told.
Anjool Malde, 24, jumped from the eighth floor roof terrace of the Coq D’Argent restaurant in central London with a glass of champagne in his hand, just two days before his birthday last summer. The incident was captured on CCTV.
He had been suspended by his bosses at Deutsche Bank two days before his death.
He was accused of posting a joke message in the name of one of the bank’s clients on a financial website, stating “I’m hot, I’m hot.”
Despite denying responsibility, the message was traced to Malde’s computer.
Two other emails were traced to Malde’s work computer, which had both been sent to the bank’s client. Sent under the name of Raj Rocks, the sender offered an apology in one and mentioned “feeling suicidal”, and in the other offered £500 to charity to “make the matter go away”.
A verdict of suicide was recorded by City of London coroner Paul Matthews.
Malde, known as Jools to his friends, read Geography at St Peter’s College. He worked as an online news editor for Cherwell, and frequently wrote stories for Cherwell and The Oxford Student. He was on Standing Committee at the Union. He also moderated the University gossip website OxGoss.
After graduating in 2005 aged 20, he came second in the UK Graduate of the Year awards.
Success after university followed. Malde was the co-founder of Alpha Parties, a firm which specialised in arranging social events for graduates and young professionals.
He had invited friends to a birthday party in Spain, in his recently-purchased £300,000 penthouse apartment.
Malde attended a party the night before his death with friend Irra Khirivskaya, a model. She said that although they went, he was very withdrawn and they left early.
She said that he “didn’t much care about being in the bank”, as he told her about the disciplinary meeting he faced at work.
Miss Khirivskaya commented, “His actions can’t be explained as the actions of the Jools I know. He was someone who temporarily lost his wits.”
However, she did concede that “The efficiency of his actions, their style and precision, were all very typical of Anjool.”
A spokeswoman for Deutsche Bank, Michelle Gathercole, said that Mr Malde had not been suspended. She added: “We are deeply saddened by our colleague’s death and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time.”
Tabassum Rasheed, a second year PPEist interviewed by Malde last year for an Easter internship at Deutsche, described him as an “animated, friendly guy” and added, “He was really helpful and seemed genuinely interested in the lives of the people he was interviewing – not just doing it for the job.”
Those working in the area around the Coq d’Argent described a “really awful” scene after Malde’s suicide jump.
Malde was not the first person to commit suicide from the restaurant. In April 2007, Richard Ford, a City marketing executive, also jumped from the terrace, landing on top of a number 76 bus.
