Panchkula family suicide: Police to scrutinise businessman's bank transactions

Chandigarh: Police will scrutinise the bank statements of the family, seven members of which died by suicide in Haryana's Panchkula two days ago, likely because they were stricken by debt, an officer said on Wednesday.

"As part of our investigation, we will be scrutinising the transactions from the bank statements," a police officer from Panchkula said.

Six members of a family, including three children, were found dead inside a car in Panchkula, while another died on his way to a hospital Monday evening, likely in a suicide pact.

The deceased were identified as Praveen Mittal, 41, his wife Reena, 40, their three children -- 11-year-old twin girls Dalisha and Dhruvi, and son Hardik, 13 -- and Mittal's parents, Desraj, 70, and Vimla, 68.

With poisoning suspected behind the deaths, viscera samples of the deceased have been sent for examination, the officer said.

A suicide note found in the car revealed that the family was under immense financial stress.

Mittal, the officer said, after suffering losses in business over fifteen years ago, started several other ventures, including a tours and taxi business, but they too did not work out.

On Monday evening, a Dehradun car was spotted by a passerby, Puneet Rana, in Panchkula's Sector 27, adjacent to a vacant plot of land.

Rana exchanged a few words with Mittal, who was breathing with difficulty, and died last. He told Rana, a local, that his family was under a huge debt and they had all committed suicide, and he too would die in another five minutes.

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Himadree Kaushik had earlier said, "Prima facie, it appears to be a matter of suicide. However, further investigations are on." She said six occupants of the car were taken to a private hospital, while one was taken to the civil hospital.

Panchkula DCP (Crime) Amit Dahiya told reporters on Tuesday that two suicide notes were found from the car -- one from its glove box and the other from a notebook kept in a bag in the vehicle.

Dahiya refused to reveal the content of the notes, but said its crux was that the family killed itself due to financial issues.