Panchkula: A video showing a man’s final moments has gone viral on the internet. He is one among the seven members of a family from Dehradun, who consumed poison and died by suicide in Haryana’s Panchkula. Their bodies were found locked inside a car parked outside a house in Sector 27, reported India Today.
The man in the car told local residents that they had taken this extreme step because they were “drowning in debt.” In the video, locals can be heard saying, ‘Give him some water.’ Others can be heard calling local authorities to come to the spot immediately.
“I will die in five minutes as I have also consumed poison,” he told Puneet Rana, a local resident. Rana helped him come out of the car.
Sources said the man, Praveen Mittal, had come to Panchkula to join a spiritual event with his family at the Bageshwar Dham in Panchkula. The incident took place on Sunday. It happened when the family was returning to Dehradun after the event was over.
Locals were the first ones to spot the family struggling inside the car. They alerted the police. “We received information that six people have been brought to Ojas Hospital. When we reached here, we found out that they are all dead. Another person was brought to the Civil Hospital, Sector 6; he has also been declared dead. Prima facie, it looks like a matter of suicide. All the investigating officers are at the spot…All of the deceased are family members,” DCP Panchkula Himadri Kaushik told ANI.
#WATCH | Panchkula, Haryana | DCP Panchkula Himadri Kaushik says, “We received information that six people have been brought to Ojas Hospital. When we reached here, we found out that they are all dead. Another person was brought to the Civil Hospital, Sector 6; he has also been… pic.twitter.com/2IjADdk3P5
— ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2025
Puneet, an eyewitness, told reporters that he and other locals pulled one of the family members out of the car after noticing that they had vomited on each other.
“The incident happened near our house. Someone told us that a car was parked outside with a towel on it. When we asked, they told us they had come for Baba’s program and couldn’t find a hotel. So they were sleeping in the car. We told them to move the car and park it elsewhere. After that, we noticed that they had vomited on each other. We pulled him out of the car,” Puneet said.
According to Puneet, only one person was breathing at the time, while the others appeared to be unconscious.
The family members were declared dead on arrival to the hospital. The deceased are Praveen Mittal, 42, his parents, wife and three children—two daughters and a son. According to reports, cops have recovered a suicide note.
Tragic news from Panchkula: 7 members of a family from Dehradun died by suicide after reportedly consuming poison inside a parked vehicle in Sector 27. Financial distress suspected. Police have recovered a suicide note. Investigation underway.#Panchkula #Haryana #Dehradun pic.twitter.com/Lt3HHF33R9
— Sushil Manav (@sushilmanav) May 27, 2025
