This tragic incident in Panchkula has deeply shaken the local community and brought into focus the devastating impact of financial distress on mental health and family well-being.
Seven members of a family from Dehradun—identified as Praveen Mittal, aged 42, his parents, wife, and three young children—were found dead inside a car parked near a residence in Sector 27, Panchkula. Initial reports suggest that the family died by suicide through poisoning, and a suicide note was recovered from the scene.
According to eyewitness Puneet Rana, who helped remove one of the victims from the vehicle, the family had mentioned they were attending a spiritual event at Bageshwar Dham and were unable to find accommodation, leading them to spend the night in their car. Locals initially believed they were simply sleeping in the vehicle, but upon noticing signs of distress—including vomiting—they intervened and called the police.
Only one person was semi-conscious at the time. Before dying, he reportedly told locals, "I will die in five minutes as I have also consumed poison... We are drowning in debt." Despite the police reaching the scene quickly, the ambulance was delayed by approximately 45 minutes. All seven individuals were declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
Police have confirmed the recovery of a suicide note and are treating it as a case of suicide driven by financial distress. A forensic investigation is underway, and the bodies have been moved to a private hospital for post-mortem examinations.
This case underscores the urgent need for better mental health support systems, quicker emergency medical response times, and accessible debt relief mechanisms for families in financial crisis.
