Chandigarh– In a heartbreaking incident, seven members of a family from Uttarakhand, including three children, were found dead inside a car parked on a vacant plot in Sector 27 of Panchkula, Haryana. Police suspect the family died by suicide due to severe financial distress.
According to authorities, the deceased include two girls aged 12 and 13, their 14-year-old brother, their parents, and grandparents. The family had reportedly been living in Chandigarh before the tragedy.
All seven were discovered in the same vehicle, with the rear windshield covered by a towel—an apparent attempt to seal the interior. Additional Commissioner of Police Vikram Nehra said that when emergency responders arrived and rushed the victims to a local hospital, only the children’s father, Praveen Mittal, was still alive. He died shortly after during treatment.
Two of the victims have been formally identified as Praveen Mittal and his father, Deshraj Mittal. Preliminary investigations suggest the family had been under immense financial pressure, which may have led them to make the fatal decision.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Himadri Kaushik, who visited the scene, confirmed that six victims were initially brought to Ojas Hospital, all declared dead upon arrival. A seventh was taken to Civil Hospital in Sector 6, but could not be saved. “Prima facie, it appears to be a suicide. All of the deceased are from the same family,” Kaushik stated.
Police believe Praveen Mittal had been running a tour and travel business in Dehradun, which reportedly suffered significant financial setbacks. These losses may have been the trigger for the suspected suicide pact.
A case has been registered, and authorities have launched a full investigation to confirm the circumstances and motives behind the deaths. For now, what remains is a devastating reminder of the mental and emotional toll financial hardship can impose on families. (Source: IANS)
