A heartbreaking mass suicide in Haryana’s Panchkula has shocked the nation. Praveen Mittal, 41, once an entrepreneur running a scrap factory, ended his life along with six family members his wife Reena (40), children Hardik (13), Dalisha and Dhruvi (both 11), and his elderly parents Desraj (70) and Vimla (68). All of them allegedly consumed poison while returning from a spiritual event at Bageshwar Dham on Monday.
Mittal had been under severe financial distress after his factory in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, was seized by the bank. “He was under a ₹20 crore debt,” said cousin Sandeep Agarwal. Mittal had also lost two flats and vehicles, and resorted to working as a taxi driver in Panchkula’s Saketri area.
‘He Said He Would Die in 5 Minutes’
A passerby, Puneet Rana, was the last to see Mittal alive. “I saw six people lying flat. They had vomited on each other. The car was stinking,” Rana recounted. “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.”
The family left behind a suicide note, requesting that the last rites be conducted by cousin Sandeep Agarwal.
Similar Tragedies Across India
Chennai Doctor Ends Life With Family Over ₹5 Crore Debt
In March, Dr. Balamurugan, a noted sonologist, died by suicide along with wife Sumathi and their sons Dasvanth (17) and Lingesh (15) in Chennai. The couple was deeply in debt. “We suspect they killed themselves. They were in debt,” a police officer said. The family’s driver found the bodies after receiving no response at the door.
Kolkata Family Kills 3 Over ₹16 Crore Loan Default
In February, three women Romi Dey, her daughter (14), and sister-in-law were killed by Prasun Dey in Tangra, Kolkata. Prasun and his brother then tried to die by suicide by ramming their car into a pillar. During interrogation, he confessed the killings were part of a failed suicide pact over massive debt.
Delhi Carpenter Kills 4 Daughters, Dies By Suicide
In September, Heeralal Sharma, a 46-year-old carpenter, allegedly poisoned himself and his four daughters, Neetu (26), Nikki (24), Neeru (23), and Nidhi (20) in Rangpuri, Delhi. Police found red threads tied around the girls’ necks and suspicious liquid in the house. Sharma’s relatives said he had become isolated after his wife’s death a year earlier.
Tamil Nadu Case: Suicide for ‘Spiritual Emancipation’
In December 2024, four people, including three family members, died by suicide in a hotel in Tamil Nadu, reportedly to attain ‘spiritual emancipation’. They had returned to Tiruvannamalai, claiming they were called by Lord Annamalaiyar and Goddess Mahalakshmi to attain salvation. Video recordings and a letter revealed the tragic motive.
Burari Mass Deaths: A Case of Spiritual Delusion?
The infamous 2018 Burari deaths saw 11 members of the Bhatia family found hanging in their Delhi home. One body was on the floor with strangulation marks. Police recovered handwritten notes detailing spiritual rituals. “The notes talk about how one can attain salvation and how the human body is temporary but the soul always continues to live on,” said police.
