PANCHKULA – A tragic case of family suicide has left residents of Panchkula’s Sector 27 in disbelief, as details emerge of a household overwhelmed by financial ruin. Praveen Mittal, 42, was found outside his parked car on Monday, moments before collapsing and later being declared dead at a hospital. Inside the vehicle were the bodies of his wife, three children, and parents—six family members who, police say, died by suicide.
Residents initially mistook the family as resting in their vehicle after attending a spiritual event at Bageshwar Dham. Hours passed before neighbors noticed something was wrong. Vomiting and unresponsiveness inside the car triggered alarm, prompting a call to the police.
“A person shouldn’t panic like this—everyone has good and bad days,” an elderly local had tried to reassure Praveen shortly before his collapse. It turned out to be Praveen’s final conscious moment.
A suicide note recovered from the scene, reportedly written by Praveen, cited overwhelming financial stress and stated he alone was responsible. Authorities say the note explicitly absolved others of blame.
The family had recently moved to Saketri, and relatives described mounting debts and deteriorating mental health. Rakesh, the father of Praveen’s wife Reena, said the family was under extreme financial pressure. Praveen was running a taxi business at the time.
Relative Sandeep Aggarwal shared that the Mittals had once owned multiple assets, including a factory, apartments, and a car, but abandoned them nearly a decade ago when leaving Panchkula. The family, originally from Hisar, was said to owe between ₹15–20 crore and had allegedly received threats from creditors.
A local resident, Punit Rana, recalled his interaction with Praveen the night before the discovery. “They said they had returned from a religious event and couldn’t find a hotel, so they were sleeping in the car. Later, I saw they had vomited on each other. I asked Praveen what happened. He said, ‘We’re in debt, and no one helped us. So we are dying.’”
The heartbreaking deaths have raised broader questions about mental health, debt-related distress, and the social safety nets available for struggling families.
