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Panchkula family suicide: Bizman tried many ventures, but failed every time, finds probe

Investigators have also concluded that the incident that shook Panchkula was premeditated, involving online procurement of a chemical compound for suicide

Published on: May 31, 2025, 09:48:16 IST
By , Panchkula
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In the months leading up to the tragic mass suicide by his seven-member family in Panchkula on May 27, the 42-year-old businessman had tried everything he could to overcome the family’s financial struggle, including a taxi service, hotel rentals and an online content platform.

Surveillance footage has helped retrace the family’s final hours on May 27. (ANI Grab)
Surveillance footage has helped retrace the family’s final hours on May 27. (ANI Grab)

But every effort failed, reveals police probe. Investigators have since also concluded that the incident that shook the city was premeditated, involving online procurement of a chemical compound for suicide.

Investigators believe this chemical compound, procured online under the guise of a food-grade preservative, was mixed into cold drinks and water that the family was carrying, along with home-packed food and other household items.

Surveillance footage has helped retrace the family’s final hours on May 27. After leaving their home in Saketri at 9 am, the family had briefly checked into Ambedkar Bhawan in Sector 12, Panchkula, before vacating it and heading toward Chandigarh.

The car was later spotted near the Old Panchkula roundabout around 5 pm. “This suggests they were mobile and possibly circling or deciding on a location. It’s a key point where they may have been mentally preparing or finalising the plan,” said a police officer investigating the case.

The car later remained parked near a house in Sector 27 for four hours from around 6.40 pm to 10 pm.

Police also found through call records that the businessman had spoken to some relatives or friends on the day of the incident.

So far, police have not been able to substantiate the relatives’ claims that the family was in debt amounting to several crores.

Investigators have revealed that the 42-year-old had opened over 30 bank accounts under the names of various family members. All these accounts are now under scrutiny, with police working to obtain detailed records to assess the extent of the family’s debt.

The businessman had operated multiple failed businesses over the years, ranging from a scrap factory in Baddi to more recent ventures, such as a taxi service and an astrology centre.

Police further revealed that in April 2025, he had rented two hotels in Dehradun. Notably, some of these businesses were registered under the name of his teenage son. In April, he had also enrolled his elder son in a government school, suggesting that the family was still attempting to maintain a semblance of normalcy despite their deepening financial struggles.

Police further said the family’s social media activity was also being tracked including his YouTube channel, started in June 2022. His final upload, posted on May 18 this year, featured him inside the very car later found in Sector 27. In the video, he pitched a content-sharing idea, offering payments for video submissions, possibly a last-ditch effort to generate income.

After a brief stay at his father-in-law’s home in Pinjore, the family moved out and found themselves battling financial uncertainty. Since then, they had no stable source of income and were reportedly struggling to manage daily expenses.