7 of a family consume poison, die in car in Haryana, blaming high debt

In an apparent case of a suicide pact due to extreme debt pressure, a family of seven, including three children, took their own lives, allegedly by consuming poison, inside a parked car, in Haryana's Panchkula on Monday (May 26) night.

According to media reports, residents saw the car parked outside a house late at night. Sensing that something was wrong, they checked inside the car and were shocked to find dead bodies. The locals rushed them to the hospital and immediately informed the police.

Consume poison

The locals said that while six bodies were found inside the car, a man was found sitting on the pavement. When approached by locals, he said that he would die soon and collapsed within minutes, reported NDTV.

Praveen Mittal, 42 and six members of his family, including his parents, wife and three young children —three girls and a boy — all residents of Dehradun, were returning home late on Monday night after attending a religious programme at Bageshwar Dham.

On their way back, the family died by suicide after allegedly consuming poison.

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Debt behind suicide

The matter came to light when a neighbourhood resident, out on a walk, noticed a car parked behind his vehicle. He saw a man, apparently Praveen Mittal, sitting on the pavement beside the car.

The resident became suspicious when he saw towels hanging out from the car. When inquired by locals, the man sitting on the pavement claimed he was returning from Bageshwar Dham with his family and since they did not find any hotel, they decided to spend the night in the car. “I then asked the man to park his car in the market area,” the resident said, as quoted by NDTV.

The man then got up, perhaps to get into the car, and park it somewhere else. But sensing something was wrong, the locals peered inside the car and were shocked to find six bodies, drenched in vomit, inside the car.

When they confronted the man, he said that his family died in a suicide pact as they were in huge debt, adding that he too would die very soon.

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What police said

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police Himadri Kaushik, who was among the police officers who reached the spot, said that they were informed that six people were brought to Ojas Hospital adding that by the time police reached the hospital, the six were declared brought dead.

Kaushik also said that another person was brought to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6 and was also declared brought dead. “Some facts make it clear it is a case of suicide. We are collecting scientific evidence to assess the matter," she said as quoted by NDTV.

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Suicide note recovered

Police recovered a suicide note from the spot where the patriarch of the family had written that they had gone bankrupt due to huge debt which was the reason behind their extreme step.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, he also wrote that he was solely responsible for whatever had happened and urged everyone not to trouble his father-in-law.

(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)