7 family members die in suspected suicide pact in Haryana
What's the story
Six members of a family were found dead in a parked car in Panchkula, Haryana, on Monday night. The deceased include Praveen Mittal (42), his elderly parents, wife, and three young children. Initial reports suggest the family died by suicide due to heavy debt. The family was returning from an event at Bageshwar Dham when they allegedly consumed poison.
Discovery details
Local residents discover family, alert authorities
Local residents noticed the family struggling inside the car and immediately alerted emergency services. A PCR van was dispatched to the scene along with Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police Himadri Kaushik and DCP Law and Order Amit Dahiya. "We received information that six people have been brought to Ojas Hospital. When we reached there, we learned they were declared dead. Another person was brought to the Civil Hospital, Sector 6. He has also been declared dead," Kaushik said.
7th person
Family was 'drowning in debt'
According to India Today, the last person to die told a local resident that they had taken this drastic step because they were "drowning in debt" and that he will die in five minutes. "Someone told us that a car was parked outside with a towel on it. We told them to move the car and park it elsewhere. After that, we noticed that they had vomited on each other. We pulled him out of the car," Puneet told reporters.
Ongoing probe
Suicide note recovered, investigation underway
The local resident, Puneet, also said that the police got there on time, but the ambulance was 45 minutes late. A suicide note has been recovered from the scene, although its contents have not been disclosed yet. The police are collecting scientific evidence to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. The family reportedly hailed from Dehradun.