In a heartbreaking incident, seven members of a family originally from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, died by suicide in a parked car in Haryana’s Panchkula on Monday night. The tragedy unfolded in the city’s Sector 27 area around 10 PM, leaving residents in shock.
According to police officials, a two-page suicide note was recovered from the vehicle. The note, written by the family’s head, Praveen Mittal, explained that the family had taken the drastic step due to overwhelming financial distress. He stated that the family had been driven to bankruptcy and held himself solely responsible for their situation. He requested that no one harass his father-in-law and mentioned that the last rites should be carried out by his maternal uncle’s son.
The deceased include Praveen Mittal, his wife, their three children, and his elderly parents—Deshraj Mittal and Bimla Devi. The children included twin daughters, aged 13, and a 15-year-old son named Hardik. The family had been residing in a rented house in Panchkula.
Earlier that day, the family had attended a spiritual event conducted by Baba Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham in Panchkula. Instead of returning home after the event, the family parked their Hyundai Aura car in Sector 27. Inside the car, six of the seven family members allegedly consumed poison and died by suicide.
The only person initially found alive was Praveen Mittal, who was spotted sitting on the pavement near the car. A local resident, Puneet Rana, noticed the vehicle parked unusually close to his car and approached Mittal, who claimed they were staying in the car for the night after not finding hotel accommodation. Rana found the situation suspicious and, upon looking inside the car, discovered the bodies of the rest of the family in a horrifying state.
“The car was reeking and the people inside had vomited on each other,” said Mr. Rana. “When I confronted the man, he said his family had died in a suicide pact and that he too would die in five minutes. He spoke about a huge financial burden.” All seven family members were rushed to a private hospital in Panchkula. Six were declared dead on arrival, and Mittal, who was still alive, was referred to another hospital. He later succumbed to the effects of the poison.
According to Praveen Mittal’s cousin, Sandeep Agarwal, Mittal was under immense financial pressure, with debts totaling around ₹20 crore. Years ago, he had established a scrap factory in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. However, mounting debt forced the bank to seize the factory, as well as two of his flats and vehicles.
Amid the crisis, Mittal left Panchkula and relocated to Dehradun, cutting off communication with relatives for nearly six years. Over time, he moved from Dehradun to Kharar in Punjab and then to Pinjore, Haryana, where he lived with his father-in-law. He returned to Panchkula about a month ago. At the time of his death, he was working as a taxi driver in the Saketri area of Panchkula.
In the suicide note, Mittal requested that his cousin, Sandeep Agarwal—whom he had spoken to five days prior—perform the family’s last rites.
The incident has left the local community shaken. Witnesses, including Puneet Rana, believe that Praveen Mittal might have survived if emergency medical assistance had arrived sooner. The circumstances of the family's financial decline and tragic end have sparked conversations about mental health, debt burden, and the need for stronger community and institutional support systems.
Police continue to investigate the case and are verifying the financial claims mentioned in the suicide note. Authorities have appealed to the public to seek help in times of crisis and reminded families facing financial hardship that resources and support are available.
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