The Panchkula Police will scrutinise the bank transactions of Praveen Mittal, a businessman who, along with six family members, allegedly died by suicide earlier this week, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The move comes as investigators probe possible financial distress as a motive behind the tragic incident.
A senior police officer said, “As part of our investigation, we will be examining the family's bank statements to understand the financial circumstances that may have led to the incident.”
The deceased have been identified as Praveen Mittal (41), his wife Reena (40), their three children—13-year-old son Hardik and 11-year-old twin daughters Dalisha and Dhruvi—as well as Mittal’s parents, Desraj (70) and Vimla (68). While six bodies were found inside a car in Panchkula’s Sector 27 on Monday evening, one family member died en route to the hospital.
Police suspect poisoning as the cause of death, and viscera samples have been sent for forensic examination.
According to preliminary findings and a suicide note recovered from the vehicle, the family was reportedly under severe financial strain. Mittal, who had suffered heavy business losses over 15 years ago, had since attempted several ventures, including running a tours and taxi service, but none proved successful.
Speaking to a media house, Praveen's maternal uncle's son confirmed the family's poor financial status, stating they were in ₹20 crore debt. Praveen ran a scrap factory in Himachal Pradesh that was seized by the bank due to unpaid loans, according to the deceased's cousin, Sandeep Agarwal.
The vehicle, bearing a Dehradun registration, was spotted near a vacant plot by a passerby, Puneet Rana, who alerted the authorities. The police continue to investigate the case, focusing on the family’s financial history and other possible factors contributing to the tragedy.
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