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

A family of seven, including three children, allegedly died by suicide in a parked car in Haryana's Panchkula last night. The family was under heavy debt and likely made a suicide pact, early investigations suggest.

The car, parked outside a house, had raised suspicion among local residents. When, to their shock, they found bodies inside the car, they rushed them to the hospital and informed the police.

While six were inside the car, one man sitting outside collapsed after declaring he would die soon.

On Monday night, Praveen Mittal, 42, and family, residents of Dehradun, had attended a religious programme at Bageshwar Dham. Praveen Mittal, his elderly parents - , wife and three young children - two twin girls, aged around 13 and a 15-year-old boy, Hardik - were on their way back home when late at night, the family allegedly consumed poison and died by suicide.

Puneet Rana, a resident of the neighbourhood was on a walk when he spotted the car with an Uttarakhand number plate parked behind his car. A man, believed to be Praveen Mittal, was sitting by the car, on the pavement.

“What we found odd was a towel hanging from the car," said Mr Rana. "My brother and I approached the man and asked him where he was from. 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," he added.

The man got up, apparently to move the car, but Mr Rana sensed something wrong. When he approached the car and peered inside, he saw a horrifying scene - 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 said his family had died in a suicide pact and that he would die too, in five minutes. The man claimed to be under huge debt. Before collapsing, he said their relatives were rich, but they were not helping," Mr Rana shared.

The family was rushed to the hospital but all were declared dead. The man could have been saved, had the ambulance arrived on time, said Mr Rana.

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police Himadri Kaushik and Deputy Commissioner of Police Law and Order Amit Dahiya were among police officers that reached the spot 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 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 police have found a suicide note, the details of which are yet to be disclosed. It is believed that the family was under heavy debt and a financial crisis.

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