Seven of Dehradun family found dead in car in Panchkula; police suspect suicide pact

Seven members of a family from Dehradun were found dead inside a car parked in Sector 27 of Panchkula in Haryana on late Monday night.

DSP Panchkula Himadri Kaushik said, "Our forensic team has reached the spot. We are scanning the car thoroughly to know the reasons behind the incident. Some facts that have emerged primarily indicate that this is a matter of suicide."

As per a report by TOI, the deceased have been identified as Praveen Mittal (42), a resident of Dehradun, along with his wife, parents and three young children — two daughters and a son. Police officials said the family had travelled to Panchkula to attend a religious event, a Hanuman Katha organised at Bageshwar Dham and are suspected to have taken the extreme step on their return journey.

Locals in the area reportedly raised an alarm after noticing the family struggling inside the locked vehicle. A distress call was placed to the emergency helpline 112, following which PCR teams rushed to the spot.

Police broke open the doors of the car and moved the unconscious occupants to Ojas Hospital and the Civil Hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula. Tragically, all were declared brought dead.

As per News18, a handwritten suicide note was recovered from inside the vehicle. While the contents have not been made public, senior police officials indicated it points towards heavy debt as a motive behind the alleged collective decision.

“This is too early to reach any conclusion. Investigations are in progress and we are trying to contact their relatives to complete the inquest and other legal formalities,” said DCP Crime Amit Dahiya was quoted by TOI, who, along with DCP Panchkula Himadri Kaushik, was present at the scene.

Speaking to the media, Kaushik confirmed: “We received information that six people were brought to Ojas Hospital and another to Civil Hospital. All were declared dead. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide. All were members of the same family.”

Forensic experts and crime scene teams have collected samples from the vehicle, which was parked on a quiet street in the residential neighbourhood. The bodies have been sent to the mortuary of a private hospital for post-mortem examination.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through both Panchkula and Dehradun, where the Mittal family was known to be residing. Residents and relatives await answers as police continue to probe the full circumstances surrounding the incident.