Family of 7 found dead in car; relatives seek suicide note for transparency

The deceased include 41-year-old businessman Praveen Mittal, his wife, their three children, and his elderly parents; police suspect financial distress as a motive

A family of seven was found dead inside a car in Haryana’s Panchkula on Monday night, in what police suspect to be a mass suicide driven by financial distress.

 

The deceased include 41-year-old businessman Praveen Mittal, his wife, their three young children (a 14-year-old boy and 12-year-old twin girls), and his elderly parents.

 

Puneet Rana, a local resident, shared with reporters that while he was out walking with someone else around 10 pm, they noticed a car with a towel hanging from one of its doors.

 

Rana approached the vehicle, found it unlocked, and opened one of the doors. The man inside reportedly explained that he and his family had been unable to find a hotel room after attending a Bageshwar Dham event in Panchkula and had decided to sleep in the car.

 

 

When Rana shone a torch into the car, he observed six individuals lying lifeless, with vomit present. He added that the seventh person, the man he spoke to, was still breathing but struggling. Then Rana reported the matter to police.

 

Upon investigation, six bodies were discovered inside the car, with vomit suggesting possible poisoning. A seventh person, later identified as Praveen, was found semi-conscious in the driver’s seat. Before succumbing, he reportedly confessed to owing crores in debt and mentioned that his family had committed suicide. A bottle of psychiatric medicine was recovered from the car.

 

The family had shifted from Dehradun to Panchkula’s Saketri area two months prior and were struggling financially. Witnesses recall Praveen saying, “I am under huge debt and will also die in five minutes.” Emergency services arrived, but all seven family members ultimately died, likely from poisoning, though toxicology results are pending.

 

Now, extended family members are demanding transparency, particularly regarding the suicide note found at the scene.

 

Praveen’s nephew, Ankit Mittal, expressed disbelief over the financial distress narrative, claiming it didn’t match Praveen’s recent behaviour.

 

“We don’t know anything. The police told us a suicide note was found, but we haven’t been allowed to read it. Until we see it, how can we believe what led to this?” Ankit said.

 

Police investigations suggest that Praveen Mittal’s family had been reeling from massive financial setbacks since 2005–2008, when they reportedly incurred losses of ₹15–20 crore in business. Following these losses, the family abandoned properties in Baddi and Dehradun and were left without a stable income. Praveen, once a businessman, had been driving a taxi to support his family.

 

Even as they struggled to make ends meet, they were living in a rented house in Saketri for ₹10,000 a month.

 

According to relatives, Praveen had earlier refused help from family members and friends. Police also revealed that his father-in-law had provided financial assistance in the past but relations had become strained.

 

Meanwhile, police are probing all angles—including financial records, CCTV footage, and social media activity—to determine the full picture of what led to this tragic end.