In a heart-wrenching incident that has left the nation in shock, seven members of a family from Dehradun were found dead inside a parked car in Haryana’s Panchkula, Sector 27, on Monday night, May 26, 2025. The chilling event, reminiscent of Delhi’s 2018 Burari mass suicide, involved Praveen Mittal (42), his wife Reena, their three children—twin daughters Dhruvika and Dalisha (11) and son Hardik (14)—and his elderly parents, Deshraj and Vimla. A two-page suicide note recovered from the Hyundai car revealed that crippling financial debt of approximately ₹20 crore drove the family to consume poison, leading to their tragic deaths.
The incident unfolded around 10 PM when a local resident, Puneet Rana, noticed the car parked near his home with a towel covering the rear windshield. Sensing something amiss, he approached and found Praveen Mittal sitting outside, semi-conscious and trembling. Praveen confessed to Rana, “We’ve all taken poison… I’ll die in five minutes,” revealing that his family had committed suicide due to overwhelming debt. Inside the car, six family members were found lifeless, surrounded by vomit, indicating poisoning. Despite efforts to rush them to Ojas Hospital and Sector 6 Civil Hospital, all seven were declared dead.
The family had attended a spiritual event at Bageshwar Dham in Panchkula and was reportedly returning to Dehradun when they took this extreme step. Praveen’s suicide note took full responsibility, stating, “I have gone bankrupt. I am responsible for all this. My father-in-law should not be harassed. The last rites shall be performed by my cousin.” Relatives confirmed Praveen, once a factory owner, faced financial ruin after his scrap business in Himachal Pradesh was seized by banks. He had recently been driving a taxi to make ends meet.
