6 Of Family Die Inside Car, 7th Sitting Outside Said “Will Die In 5 Mins”

Six members of a family, including three children, were found dead in a parked car in Panchkula last night. The seventh member, a man, was found sitting outside the car, claiming to die in next five minutes. Preliminary investigation suggests that the family was under heavy debt and had died together by suicide.

The car parked outside a house sparked suspicion among locals. Finding the bodies inside, locals rushed them to the hospital, where they were declared dead and informed the cops.

On Monday night, Praveen Mittal and family were returning from an event in Panchkula. Dehradun residents were in the city to attend a spiritual programme at the Bageshwar Dham. Late at night, they were on their way back to Dehradun when the family reportedly consumed poison and died by suicide.

A local was on his night walk when he spotted a car, having Uttarakhand number plate, parked behind his car. What stood apart was towel hanging outside. A man was sitting by the car, on the pavement.

“I, and my brother, approached the man and asked him about his whereabouts. He said, the family was returning from Bageshwar Dham. Since they didn’t find any hotel, they decided to spend the night in the car. I asked him to move the car to the market area,” said a local.

The man got up to move the car but the local was not convinced. He returned to the car and peeped inside and what he saw was horrifying – six dead bodies and a stinking car.

“I saw six people lying flat. They had vomited on each other. The car was stinking. I pulled the man away and asked what the matter was. He then informed that the family has died in a suicide pact and he will also die in another five minutes. The man claimed to be under huge debt,” the local recalled.

The family was rushed to the hospital but were declared dead. The man could be saved had the ambulance arrived on time, said the local.

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police Himadri Kaushik and Deputy Commissioner of Police Law and Order Amit Dahiya reached the location and began an investigation.

“We received information that six people have been brought to Ojas Hospital. When we reached there, we learnt they were declared dead,” said Panchkula DCP, Himadri Kaushik.

“Another person was brought to the Civil Hospital, Sector 6. He has also been declared dead. Some facts make it clear it is a case of suicide. We are collecting scientific evidence to assess the matter,” she added.

The dead have been identified as Praveen Mittal, 42, his elderly parents, wife and three young children – two girls and a boy.

The Police have recovered a suicide note, details of which are yet to be disclosed. However, it is said that the family died by suicide as they were under heavy debt and a financial crisis.

The bodies have been sent to the mortuary of a private hospital.