Family of seven dies by suicide in car over financial woes in Haryana's Panchkula
CHANDIGARH: Seven members of a family from Dehradun, Uttarakhand found to have died by suicide in Panchakula, Haryana on Monday night. Police said financial losses may have driven them to the extreme step.
Sources said the family consumed poison and died by suicide around midnight inside their car parked in Sector 27, Panchkula. The rear windows were covered with a towel, and the car was locked from inside. A passer-by, noticing the unusual window covering, looked inside, found the occupants unconscious, and alerted the police.
Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) rushed to the spot and found seven family members inside the car, most of them in a semi-conscious state. They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital.
The family had reportedly travelled to Panchkula to attend a Hanuman Katha event organised by Bageshwar Dham. With the event having recently concluded, they were on their way back to Dehradun when they took the extreme step.
The deceased have been identified as 42-year-old Praveen Mittal, his father Deshraj Mittal and his wife, Praveen's wife, and their three children, two teenage daughters and a son. The family owned a tours and travels business that reportedly suffered heavy losses.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Mass suicide: Panchkula cops struggle to obtain handwriting samples of Mittal for suicide note verification
1 2 Panchkula: Three days after the mass suicide, the district police are yet to obtain handwriting samples of Praveen Mittal to verify the authenticity of the suicide note found at the scene, a key step in ruling out any foul play. To match the handwriting and signature in the note, investigators have reached out to Mittal's bank, requesting documents that contain his handwritten content, such as forms, cheques, or correspondence. However, the bank has not yet shared any such material with the police, slowing down the forensic process, said a police official. "We are doing everything we can to obtain the samples. Once we have them, they will be sent to forensic experts immediately," said a police official. Police said that two suicide notes were recovered—one appeared to have been abandoned midway, with visible cuts and corrections, suggesting that Praveen Mittal was dissatisfied with it and started over. The second note was more complete and coherent. Both were signed. The notes, allegedly written by Mittal, cite bankruptcy as the reason for the drastic step and do not blame anyone. He also mentioned in the note that he was concerned that his minor kids would be left on the roads after they passed away, so they were also made part of the "suicide" pact. They were supposedly given the poisonous substance in a soft drink, while others seemed to have consumed it with water. Since he was changing his living places frequently and was not in touch with his relatives due to debts and current broken bonds, it is difficult to get details as none of the family members are surviving. The police further shared that the car, which was in the name of his friend, was also financed. The investigators have so far traced one bank account belonging to Mittal, and on that too, there was no significant amount. The police are also trying to find clues from three mobile phones recovered from the spot that day. However, a police official said, "Two mobile phones were found switched off, while the third one's password is yet to be broken," said a cop. On Monday night, police found six bodies — Deshraj Mittal (70), his wife Bimla (66), Praveen's wife Reena (40), their son Hardik (13), and twin daughters Dilasha and Dhruvita (11) — inside a Hyundai Aura car in Sector 27. Praveen Mittal (42) was discovered in a semi-conscious state and rushed to the civil hospital, where he died during CPR. The family had been residing in Saketri, having previously lived in Pinjore, Kharar, and Dehradun. Praveen's life was marred by a string of financial failures — from an unsuccessful scrap-material processing plant in Baddi to a failed tour and travel business in Dehradun. Most recently, he was working as a driver in the Panchkula region. His debts reportedly amounted to several crores. He also said to have taken money from finacers, cops are probing. MSID:: 121495253 413 |
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Panchkula mass suicide: Mittals first went to Sec 12 bhawan to execute plan
1 2 Panchkula: Police investigations into Panchkula mass suicide case have revealed that the Mittal family may have initially planned to end their lives at Dr B R Ambedkar Bhawan in Sector 12-A before ultimately choosing Sector 27 as their final location. Analysis of CCTV footage showed that after departing from their Saketri residence on Monday morning, the family checked into two rooms at Ambedkar Bhawan. "We suspect their original intention was to end their lives at the bhawan, but circumstances led them to alter their plans. They departed from the premises at 6.35 pm," a police official confirmed. "Contrary to earlier reports, they did not attend any religious gathering in Sector 5. They proceeded directly to Sector 27, where they parked their vehicle in a residential area before taking the fatal step," the official said. Police teams have been deployed to various locations in Dehradun and Panchkula for investigation. "Although initial evidence suggests no foul play, we are investigating his activities over the past six months to one year," another official noted. While postmortem examinations indicate simultaneous deaths, the viscera report remains pending to determine the exact cause. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scalable retail: Video analytics firm enables more traffic thanks to robust computing power - Google Cloud: Future of Infrastructure CIO | Google Cloud, AMD Undo Investigators noted that the family had maintained minimal contact with relatives for four to five years, suggesting significant financial obligations. Given the limited information from family members about their recent circumstances, police face extensive investigative work to understand the deceased family's situation. On Monday night, bodies of Praveen Mittal's father Deshraj Mittal (70), mother Bimla (66), wife Reena Mittal (40), son Hardik (13), and twin daughters Dilasha and Dhruvita (11) were found in their vehicle parked in Sector 27, while Praveen was found semi-conscious, but later died during CPR at the civil hospital. Two suicide notes attributed to Praveen Mittal cited financial bankruptcy as the reason, without holding anyone responsible. The family resided in Saketri after relocating from Pinjore, Kharar, and Dehradun. Praveen's financial difficulties included a failed scrap-material processing facility in Baddi, an unsuccessful tour and travel venture in Dehradun, and eventually working as a driver in Panchkula, accumulating debts worth several crores.
NDTV
6 days ago
- NDTV
Debt, Superstition: The Suicide Pacts That Shook India
From an entrepreneur a few years ago to working as a taxi driver, the fall in his fortunes was steep and grim. Along the way, he also accumulated a crushing load of debt. It proved the final straw that broke him, like the proverbial camel's back. Failing to spot the silver lining amid the clear and ever-present doom, he decided to put an end to his suffering in an alliance with six other family members. Praveen Mittal, 41, his wife Reena, 40, their three minor children - twin girls Dalisha and Dhruvi, 11, and son Hardik, 13 - and his parents Desraj, 70, and Vimla, 68, died in a mass suicide pact on Monday night in Haryana's Panchkula. The family left behind a note, requesting that the last rites be performed by Mr Mittal's cousin Sandeep Agarwal, whom he spoke to five days ago. Mr Mittal had set up a scrap factory in Himachal Pradesh's Baddi, which was later seized by the bank due to increasing debt. A Rs 20 crore debt, said his cousin Sandeep Agarwal. In deep financial trouble, Mr Mittal, who hails from Barwala in Hisar, started working as a taxi driver in Panchkula's Saketri region. The bank had also seized his two flats and vehicles. On Monday, Mr Mittal and his family attended a spiritual event at the Bageshwar Dham. While on their way back, the family allegedly consumed poison and died by suicide in a car. Their car was spotted late on Monday evening by a passer-by, who even exchanged a few words with the family member who died last. The man (Praveen Mittal), who was breathing with difficulty, told Puneet Rana that his family was under a huge debt, the family members had ended life and he too would die in another five minutes. Mr Rana approached the car and peered inside. He saw a horrifying scene - six bodies and a stinking car. "I saw six people lying flat. They had vomited on each other. The car was stinking. I pulled the man away and asked what the matter was. He then said his family had died in a suicide pact and that he would die too, in five minutes. The man claimed to be under huge debt. Before collapsing, he said their relatives were rich, but they were not helping," Mr Rana said. The family was rushed to the hospital but all were declared dead. Chennai Doctor Who Died By Suicide With Family A staggering debt of Rs 5 crore led a doctor to die by suicide along with his wife and their two teenage sons at their Chennai home early in March. The victims were identified as Dr Balamurugan, a prominent sonologist, his wife Sumathi, a practising lawyer, and their sons, 17-year-old Dasvanth and 15-year-old Lingesh. While the bodies of the doctor and his wife were found in one room, the bodies of the sons were discovered in another, said the police. The bodies were discovered by the family's driver. After receiving no response from the family, he alerted neighbours, who peered through the windows and saw the bodies. Dr Balamurugan owned several ultrasound diagnostic centres in Chennai. His wife, Sumathi, was an advocate practicing in the city court. Their elder son, Dasvanth, was preparing for his Class XII board exams, while their younger son, Lingesh, was in Class X. According to reports, Dasvanth was also preparing for the NEET medical entrance examination. "We suspect they killed themselves. They were in debt. We are investigating. No formal complaint received from anyone so far," a police officer told NDTV. Kolkata Triple Murders And Rs 16 Crore Debt On February 19, three members of a family were found dead in their home in Tangra on the outskirts of Kolkata, sending shockwaves across the city. The case came to light when two brothers and the son of one of them crashed their car into a pillar, allegedly to die by suicide. When they were questioned by the police, they disclosed about the bodies at home. One of the brothers, Prasun Dey, confessed that he killed all three - wife Romi Dey, their 14-year-old daughter and sister-in-law Sudeshna Dey. It was revealed during his questioning that a Rs 16 crore debt could have led to the murders. The brothers - Pranay and Prasun Dey - lived with their wives in the Tangra home. Pranay Dey's son and Prasun Dey's daughter were the other occupants of the house. Mr Dey, a businessman, revealed that he had first made a pact with his wife, brother and brother's wife to die by suicide over the staggering debt. The murders were a fallout of the failed suicide plan, he told the cops. During interrogation, Prasun Dey claimed that he first smothered his daughter using a pillow while his wife aided him in the act by holding her feet. Then his wife Romi slit her wrists. However, when that didn't work, he slit her wrists and throat, the police said, adding he then killed his sister-in-law the same way. Later that night, Prasun Dey left the house in a car with his brother and nephew. After 3 am, their car hit a pillar. The brother later alleged that they took that step to die by suicide. Man, 4 Daughters Found Dead At Delhi Home In September last, a man and his four daughters were found dead at their residence in Delhi with police suspecting that the father first killed children and then died by suicide by consuming poison. Police said that no injury marks were found on their bodies and that three packets of poison, five glasses and a spoon containing suspicious liquid were found inside their house in Rangpuri, a residential area near Indira Gandhi International Airport. A red thread was found tied around the waist and necks of the daughters. The victims were identified as Heeralal Sharma, 46, who worked as a carpenter, and his daughters Neetu, 26, Nikki, 24, Neeru, 23, and Nidhi, 20. Two of the daughters were differently abled. "The door was bolted from the inside and could be opened by the police with the help of the fire brigade team. There are two rooms in the flat. A male was found lying dead in the first room itself whereas four females were found dead in the other room," the police said in a statement. The man's wife had died of cancer a year ago. The man's relatives said he had stopped taking interest in family affairs after the death of his wife. They also said that he was always occupied with the treatment of his daughters in the hospital. 4 Die By Suicide To Attain 'Spiritual Emancipation' In December 2024, four people, including three of a family, were found dead at a private hotel in Tamil Nadu. They had allegedly consumed poison in an attempt to attain 'spiritual emancipation', said the police. Investigations revealed that the group was deeply involved in 'spiritual' practices and made regular visits to the Karthigai Deepam festival that takes place every year in Tiruvannamalai. After attending the festival this year, they returned to Chennai. However, they went back to Tiruvannamalai, reportedly claiming they were called by Lord Annamalaiyar and Goddess Mahalakshmi to attain salvation. A letter recovered from them detailed their intent to end their lives in pursuit of spiritual emancipation, said the police. Video recordings on their cell phones documented their actions leading up to the suicide, said the police. 2018 Burari Deaths The bodies of three generations of the Bhatia family were discovered in their home in north Delhi's Burari by a neighbour who found their grocery shop shut on a Sunday morning in 2018. All but one of the bodies were hanging from the ceiling; most of them were blindfolded, gagged and their hands tied behind the back. The oldest member of the family, 77-year-old Narayan Devi, was found on the floor with signs of strangling. The others have been identified as her daughter Pratibha, 57, her two sons Bhavnesh, 50, and Lalit Bhatia, 45, Bhavnesh's wife Savita, 48, and their three children - Meenu, 23, Nidhi, 25, and Dhruv, aged 15. Lalit Bhatia's wife Tina, 42, and their 15-year-old son Shivam were also among those found dead. Pratibha's daughter Priyanka, 33, who was engaged last month and would have been married by the end of this year, was also found hanging. A police statement said some handwritten notes were found in the house "which point towards observance of some definite spiritual/mystical practices by the whole family". A police officer said the notes talk about how one can attain salvation and how the human body is temporary but the soul always continues to live on. The notes had "strong similarity with the manner in which the mouths, eyes etc of the deceased were tied and taped," said the police.
