A day after 11 members of a family were found dead under mysterious circumstances in their home in Delhi’s Burari area, an autopsy report has confirmed hanging as the cause of death for at least six persons.
A police statement revealed “Some handwritten notes were found in the house which point towards observance of some definite spiritual/mystical practices by the whole family”
According to reports, most of them were blindfolded and gagged. Even their hands tied behind the back.
The police are yet to ascertain the sequence of the deaths of the family members, whether it was a mass suicide or murder-suicide.
CCTV footage shows that a food was delivered at the Bhatia home on June 30 night around 10:40 pm. After that, no one else was seen entering or leaving the house.
Their neighbor suspected some foul play on July 1 morning after seeing both of the Bhatia family shops closed which would open by 6 am every morning. He then went to check and later informed the police after finding most of them hanging from the grill ceiling.
Another family member Sujata who lived in Panipat said, “I can’t believe that they committed suicide. Everyone was so happy. Someone has killed my family and the police have to find them.”
Among the members who were dead are the oldest member of the family, 77-year-old Narayan Devi, her daughter Pratibha, sons Bhavnesh and Lalit Bhatia, Bhavnesh’s wife Savita and their three children Meenu, Neetu and 15-year-old Dhruv and lastly Lalit Bhatia’s wife Tina and their son Shivam.
The bodies will be cremated in Delhi on July 2.
