Panchkula shocker: Debt drove family of 7 to end life in car

Six family members were found dead in a car in Panchkula, suspected suicide due to financial distress; one died in hospital. Investigations ongoing.

Six members of a family that originally belonged to Hisar were found dead in a car parked in a vacant plot in Sector 27, Panchkula, on Monday night, while the seventh died in hospital in what police suspect to be a suicide pact due to financial distress.

Police and forensic experts inspect the vehicle in which seven members of a family allegedly consumed poison, in Panchkula, on Tuesday. (Sant Arora/HT)

Panchkula deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Himadri Kaushik, said, “Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide. However, further investigations are on.”

The deceased include a 42-year-old man, his wife, their three children — a 14-year-old son and 9-year-old twin daughters — and his parents.

According to the police, the family had recently shifted to a rented accommodation in Panchkula’s Saketri after living in Dehradun and briefly with the man’s father-in-law in Pinjore.

A local resident, Harshit Rana, discovered the vehicle around 10pm on Monday.

“I noticed a towel hanging from the car door. When I looked inside using a flashlight, I saw all six passengers were motionless and appeared to have vomited. The man in the driver’s seat was still conscious and told me he was under heavy debt and would die in five minutes,” said Rana.

The family was rushed to two separate hospitals, but all succumbed, said deputy commissioner of police Himadri Kaushik.

Assistant commissioner of police (headquarters) Vikram Nehra said two suicide notes, purportedly written by the 42-year-old man, were recovered from the car. “He confessed to being bankrupt and held himself responsible for the deaths. He requested that his cousin perform the last rites, not his father-in-law,” Nehra said.

The notes were found placed prominently — one on the dashboard and the other inside a book. Police also recovered a bottle containing powdered sodium nitrate, known to cause fatal oxygen deprivation when ingested in large quantities. Psychiatric medicines, carbonated drinks, and packed bags were also found inside the vehicle, suggesting the family may have been planning to move.

Nehra said: “It appears that the man first ensured that the others had died before consuming the substance himself. He died nearly an hour after being admitted to the hospital.”

Relatives of the family revealed a prolonged history of financial difficulties. The family previously owned a scrap-processing factory in Baddi and a flat valued at ₹2.5 crore but suffered losses of up to ₹7 crore. They moved to Dehradun in 2015-16 after banks seized their properties to recover debts running into crores. They later attempted to start a travel and taxi business in Dehradun, which also failed.

A relative from Ludhiana said the man had contacted him on May 10, stating he had returned to Panchkula and was seeking employment. “He sounded extremely distressed,” the relative said.

The vehicle used in the incident was registered in the name of the 42-year-old suicide victim’s friend, who is a resident of Dehradun, say police

He said the victim had taken the car on loan under his name and had been struggling to repay the instalments. “He told me he was under a lot of pressure due to mounting debts,” he added.

Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ajai Singh said: “The victim’s friend told us that he had requested the car to be taken on loan in his name, and that he would continue to pay the instalments.”

According to family members, the victims had cut off contact with relatives for nearly a decade. The deceased man’s father-in-law, who had recently reconnected with the family, confirmed they were facing financial hardship and had been living in a rented accommodation in Saketri at ₹10,000 a month.

Shocked to hear tragic news, says friend

Dehradun A Dehradun resident and friend of the 42-year-old Panchkula suicide victim, said he had spoken to him a week ago and was worried about how he would repay his debts.

“I am facing financial difficulties... going somewhere to make arrangements,” the 42-year-old had said over phone.

“He was a quiet and composed individual... I’m shocked to hear that he died by suicide,” said the victim’s friend.

The car in which seven members of a family died by suicide was registered in his name.

“I had known him since 2017 when he and his family moved to Dehradun. He ran a non-governmental organisation, where I worked for about a month,” he added.