Panchkula: In a distressing case, seven members of a family from Dehradun were found dead inside a car in Haryana’s Panchkula district Authorities suspect the deaths were the result of a mass suicide, reportedly driven by severe financial hardship.
The tragic discovery was made in Sector 27, where the car had been parked on the roadside. Local residents, noticing the occupants in visible distress, alerted the police. Emergency responders broke into the vehicle and found all seven family members unconscious. Despite efforts to save them, all were pronounced dead at nearby hospitals.
The deceased include Praveen Mittal, 42, along with his parents, wife, and three children, two daughters and a son. The family had travelled to Panchkula to attend a spiritual event at Bageshwar Dham and were returning to Dehradun when the incident occurred.
Investigating officers have confirmed the recovery of a suicide note from the vehicle, though its details have not yet been made public. Police believe the family consumed poison while inside the car.
Senior officers, including Panchkula DCP Himadri Kaushik and DCP (Law and Order) Amit Dahiya, are overseeing the investigation. A forensic team has gathered evidence from the scene to support further analysis. “Upon initial probe, it seemed like a case of suicide. The forensic team has reached the spot. We will collect all the evidence from the crime scene and analyse it scientifically,” senior police official Himadri Kaushik said.
The bodies have been transferred to a private hospital morgue for post-mortem examinations. The case has sent shockwaves through the local community as authorities work to confirm the motive and circumstances behind this heartbreaking incident.