6 of family dead in car, 7th dies in hospital; debt behind mass suicide

Time of India

6 days ago

Police and officials investigate at the site after seven members of a family from Dehradun allegedly consumed poison and died in a car, in Panchkula, early Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (PTI)
PANCHKULA: Six members of a family were found dead inside a parked car late Monday night in Sector 27 of Haryana's Panchkula, while a seventh died hours later in a hospital. Police said Praveen Mittal, 42, a debt-ridden businessman, left suicide notes taking full responsibility for the deaths.
Bodies of Praveen's wife Reena (40), parents Deshraj and Bimla (60+), son Hardik (13), and twin daughters Dilasha and Dhruvita (11) were discovered by residents after the family allegedly took poison in a car. Praveen, found semi-conscious outside the car, told a bystander before collapsing: "We are in debt... no relative helped us." He died in hospital. Police are treating the deaths as a case of mass suicide, pending toxicology confirmation.
ACP Vikram Nehra said cops found two suicide notes, allegedly written by Praveen, saying he had gone bankrupt & preferred his cousin in Ludhiana to perform last rites.
Rs 15 crore debt pushed Praveen into deep distress
A sodium nitrate-based chemical, empty water bottles, and a soft drink were found in the vehicle. Lab results are pending.
Praveen, originally from Hisar's Barwala, had suffered repeated financial failures - from a shuttered scrap unit in Baddi to a collapsed tour and travel business in Dehradun.
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Loans totalling around Rs 12-15 crore had pushed him into deep distress, relatives said. He also worked with an NGO and later became a driver in Panchkula.
According to Dehradun police, Praveen lived in Kaulagarh for four years before shifting to Chandigarh seven months ago. He had borrowed a car from Gambhir Singh Negi, who said he financed the vehicle in his own name at Mittal's request, with the latter promising to pay EMIs.
Neighbours and locals were shocked. "The girls were very cute. They used to walk in the park," said Manish Chaudhary, who rented a two-room set in Saketri to the family for Rs 8,000 a month. "He told me Monday morning they were going out of station for three days."
Police said the family had attended a Bageshwar Dham gathering earlier that day in Sector 5 and were seen parked in the area by locals, who initially assumed they were resting due to lack of hotel accommodation.
Relatives described Praveen as withdrawn and financially burdened. Cousin Ankit Mittal recalled long stretches without contact and multiple failed attempts at business recovery. Praveen's ties with in-laws were strained, leading him to exclude his father-in-law from last rites in his final note.
Praveen's brother Jitender, a garment trader in Panchkula, is assisting police with the investigation.
Sociologist and former Panjab University professor Rajesh Gill called the tragedy a reflection of societal isolation. "There's no support system now - no extended family, no neighbourhood to fall back on," she said. "Adults may struggle, but for children, suicide is unimaginable unless they were unaware."
(Inputs from Dehradun)