Delhi Burari deaths latest updates: Among the 11 members of a family who were found dead in Delhi's Burari area on Sunday, an autopsy found that the eldest, 77-year-old Narayan Devi, had committed suicide with the help of a belt, CNN-News 18 reported. Police officers have not found the belt yet.
Narayan Devi's daughter Sujata refuted claims of occult practices, as the police suspected after finding a diary that suggested otherwise. She told Firstpost that the family was happy and was looking forward to the granddaughter's marriage, and had no reason to commit suicide.
The 77-year-old was the last one to die, according to the autopsy reports. Some of the notes found in the Bhatia family's house said that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. Adding more confusion to the case, postmortem examinations found liquid chemical substances in the stomachs of five of the deceased, reported CNN-News18.
Investigators are scrutinising the call data records of the family members and their internet search history, as well. The police said they will also interrogate the family of the man who was engaged to marry the granddaughter.
A Delhi Police officer said they recovered handwritten notes from the house which talked about how a person can overcome fear by covering eyes and mouth, how a person can attain salvation, and how the human body is temporary but the soul continues to live on.
"The notes talk about if a group of 11 people follows these rituals, all problems would ease out and they would attain salvation. Some notes have dates on which they were written while others don't. All the notes talk about reaching the end and gaining peace," one of the investigators said.
A report by the sub-divisonal magistrate to the crime branch says that the entire family had books on 'occult rituals' and religious practices, and which they performed as well.
Eleven members of a family, including two minor boys, were found dead under mysterious circumstances at their home in north Delhi's Burari on Sunday, with the police suspecting the family followed some religious practice to "attain salvation". Postmortem examination report of six bodies showed that the cause of death was hanging. No signs of struggle were found.
People living in the lane in north Delhi's Burari are in a state of shock.
Every day, people crossing the Bhatia residence would read a Hindi verse the family had written on a board put up outside the grocery store owned by it but on Sunday, all they could see was reporters, TV cameras and policemen moving in and out of the residence.
There were discussions about whether the deceased were killed or had committed suicide as one boarded a "Gramin Seva" autorickshaw from the GTB Nagar metro station, which is six kilometres away from Sant Nagar in Burari, from where the incident was reported.
Police personnel guard near the house, where 11 members of a family in Burari area of New Delhi on Sunday. PTI
The passengers in the autorickshaw could be heard discussing the massive traffic jam in the morning hours since Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal paid a visit to the "house of horror".
"We got to know about the incident through news channels around 8 am. Everybody is talking about it. There are also stories floating that the family did it due to some religious belief," a woman passenger said.
Neighbours said they were scared after hearing about the incident.
"If they were killed, we are worried about the law-and-order situation in Burari. Last month, there was a shootout in broad daylight in which a commoner was also killed and on the first day of this month, 11 bodies are found in a house," a resident of the locality said.
Others were worried about whether anyone would even think about buying the house where the bodies were found and after the police finding handwritten notes indicating a "religious" angle to the deaths.
Even as the police were looking for clues in the house, it was chaos outside as locals had turned up in large numbers, seeing the media frenzy.
While the bodies were being taken away, some were seen making videos on their phones. A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said his elderly mother had fallen sick after hearing about the incident.
Another neighbour said there was a feeling of fear in the locality.
"My tenants were so scared that they told me they were going to stay at a relative's place for a week," he added.
The police found some handwritten notes in the house, which, they said suggested that the family might have been into some sort of religious practices.
The deceased were identified as Narayan Devi (77), her daughter Pratibha (57), two sons Bhavnesh (50) and Lalit Bhatia (45).
Bhavnesh's wife Savita (48) and their three children — Meenu (23) and Nidhi (25) and Dhruv (15) — were also found dead, along with Lalit's wife Tina (42) and their 15-year-old son Shivam.
Pratibha's daughter Priyanka (33), who got engaged last month and was supposed to get married in November, was also found dead.
With inputs from PTI
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Updated Date: Jul 02, 2018 19:07:04 IST
Highlights
Initial reports suggest suicide, says top crime branch officer
Alok Kumar, joint commissioner of police (crime branch), said that the autopsy of all 11 bodies had been completed, and that initial reports suggest suicide. Further investigation is underway, he added..
Police on the lookout for 'Baba Janegadi'
The Delhi Police have launched a manhunt for one 'Baba Janegadi' in connection with the mysterious deaths in Burari. News18 reported that investigators got to know about him after they received the sub-district magistrate reports, which contained statements of relatives and friends of the family.
Preliminary examination showed they died due to hanging: Cops
A police officer on Monday said, "From initial examination it seems that they all died due to ante-mortem hanging. The final report is awaited," the officer said. Police suspect that the deaths were part of a suicide pact, carried out in accordance with a religious practice, as handwritten notes found on the spot indicated. Some of the notes stated that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. Those who were found hanging had their mouth taped and their faces covered with cloth pieces cut from a single bed sheet. Only Narayan's face was not covered. The bodies will be handed over to the family for last rites later in the day.- PTI
Preliminary examination showed they died due to hanging: Cops
A police officer on Monday said, "From initial examination it seems that they all died due to ante-mortem hanging. The final report is awaited," the officer said. Police suspect that the deaths were part of a suicide pact, carried out in accordance with a religious practice, as handwritten notes found on the spot indicated. Some of the notes stated that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. Those who were found hanging had their mouth taped and their faces covered with cloth pieces cut from a single bed sheet. Only Narayan's face was not covered. The bodies will be handed over to the family for last rites later in the day.- PTI
Locals say occult practice theory diverts attention from poor law and order situation of Burari
Locals rubbish theories of occult practices and say that such theories are being manufactured to distract people from the fact that law and order is in a pitiable condition in Burari. They believe that 11 people could not possibly have killed themselves. (Inputs by Pallavi Rebbapragada)
Police have launched a manhunt for a tantrik 'Baba Janegadi' in connection with the deaths
Police got to know about him after they received the SDM reports which had statements of relatives, and friends of the family, CNN-News 18 reported.
75-year-old elderly woman also committed suicide, and was not murdered: Postmortem report
According to CNN-News 18, post-mortem of all the eleven members of the family has been completed. 75-year-old elderly woman also committed suicide, and was not murdered. She committed suicide with the help of a belt. The belt has been recovered by the police officers.
Family was religious, scribbled chants on blackboard outside their shop: Burari local
Kishan Kumar, a local from Burari, explains the theory linking the 11 pipes to the 11 bodies. Kumar says the pipes are connected to the washrooms and he also said that he has often noticed the family scribbling religious messages like dohas and shlokas on a blackboard outside their shop. (Input by Pallavi Rebbapragada)
Bhatia family was very warm towards others, says customer to family
Rajinder Singh has been a resident of Burari for 50 years and was a customer of the Bhatias, who owned a hardware shop. Singh said there were a completely ordinary family and very warm towards everyone. (Inputs: Pallavi Rebbapragada)
Bhatia family was just like another ordinary family, says neighbour of 20 years
Vimal Soni, the Bhatia family's neighbour for 20 years in in Burari, said they were just another ordinary family. He said that the family didn't come down to collect the milk in the morning. He also said on the 17th of June they celebrated the engagement of the grand daughter in a big way. Vimal Soni, the neighbour, also added that the family owned a big dog who didn't bark at night. (Inputs: Pallavi Rebbapragada )
Former neighbour says Bhatia family was religious, could not have been into occult practices
Trilokinath Bhatia, a close aide of the deceased family has come from Fatehabad, Haryana. He was their neighbour for 10 years and said they were too religious for occult practices.
Inputs: Pallavi Rebbapragada
Narayan Devi's daughter Sujata said family was not superstitious and was looking forward to grand daughter's marriage
Video courtesy: Pallavi Rebbapragada
Narayan Devi's daughter Sujata rubbishes speculations on occult practices
Image courtesy: Pallavi Rebbapragada
Daughter Sujata who lives in Panipat believes 'someone killed family'
According to NDTV, the eldest member among the deceased, Narayan Dev, had one more son and daughter who are in shock. Her eldest son Dinesh Bhatia lives in Rajasthan's Kota and daughter Sujata lives in Panipat in Haryana. "I can't believe that they committed suicide. Everyone was so happy. Someone has killed my family and the police have to find them," Sujata Bhatia was quoted by PTI.
Police barricades on the lane leads to Bhatias' home in Sant Nagar, Burari
Image courtesy: Pallavi Rebbapragada
Some of the notes stated that 'one will not die' but attain something 'great'
Some of the notes stated that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. Some of the notes stated that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. The bodies will be handed over to the family for last rites this afternoon. Locals had said Meenu was preparing for entrance exams and Nidhi was pursuing her Masters. Except for the oldest member Narayan Devi, the others were found hanging from the iron-mesh in the ceiling, police said. - PTI
An image in a newspaper showing the family members hanging draws flak
An English daily and its corresponding news channel carried the photographs of family members hanging with their eyes blindfolded and has drawn huge criticism from several quarters.
Reports say family responsible for their own deaths, says CNN-News 18
Bodies to be cremated today
Except the 77-yr-old woman, all the bodies were found hanging from the ceiling, most of them blindfolded with their hands tied behind their back. According to NDTV, the bodies will be cremated on Monday.
'Cloth used to cover mouth should be tightly tied': Details police found in notes (2/2)
6. After tying the hands, if a piece of cloth remains, use it to blindfold people.
7. Cloth used to cover mouth should be tightly tied.
8. The more dedication one shows in the process, the better will be the result.
9. It should be done between 12-1 am. Hawan/puja should be done before that.
10. Everyone should have same thoughts. If you are able to do this, it will be quite fruitful.
'Use rope along with saree or dupatta': Details in handwritten notes mentioned (1/2)
1. Choose Thursday/Sunday.
2. Tie cloth well, nothing but zero should be visible. Along with rope use saree or dupatta.
3. Rituals should be followed seven days before killing. Rituals should be strictly followed, if the spirit invoked within these days, “finish your work” the following day.
4. If the elderly woman can't stand, you can “make her go to sleep” in the next room.
5. Use dim lights.
Family had books on 'occult rituals': SDM report
A report by the sub-divisonal magistrate to the crime branch says that the entire family had books on 'occult rituals' and religious practices, and which they performed as well.
Police finds 11 pipes in house
The Delhi Police has found 11 pipes in the house where 11 members of family were found dead in Delhi's Burari area. According to reports, these pipes were found near the entrance. The police is also speaking to priests and pandits. Officials are investigating if the deaths were related to suicide and superstition.
Postmortem reveals six family members died of 'ligature hanging'
Media reports on Monday said that the police has completed the postmortem of six bodies and found hanging to be the cause of death. According to ANI, police sources mentioned 'ligature hanging' as the reason behind the death and found no signs of struggle. The family members had donated their eyes.
18:30 (IST)
17:57 (IST)
Initial reports suggest suicide, says top crime branch officer
Alok Kumar, joint commissioner of police (crime branch), said that the autopsy of all 11 bodies had been completed, and that initial reports suggest suicide. Further investigation is underway, he added..
17:34 (IST)
Police on the lookout for 'Baba Janegadi'
The Delhi Police have launched a manhunt for one 'Baba Janegadi' in connection with the mysterious deaths in Burari. News18 reported that investigators got to know about him after they received the sub-district magistrate reports, which contained statements of relatives and friends of the family.
17:16 (IST)
17:14 (IST)
Preliminary examination showed they died due to hanging: Cops
A police officer on Monday said, "From initial examination it seems that they all died due to ante-mortem hanging. The final report is awaited," the officer said. Police suspect that the deaths were part of a suicide pact, carried out in accordance with a religious practice, as handwritten notes found on the spot indicated. Some of the notes stated that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. Those who were found hanging had their mouth taped and their faces covered with cloth pieces cut from a single bed sheet. Only Narayan's face was not covered. The bodies will be handed over to the family for last rites later in the day.- PTI
17:05 (IST)
Preliminary examination showed they died due to hanging: Cops
A police officer on Monday said, "From initial examination it seems that they all died due to ante-mortem hanging. The final report is awaited," the officer said. Police suspect that the deaths were part of a suicide pact, carried out in accordance with a religious practice, as handwritten notes found on the spot indicated. Some of the notes stated that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. Those who were found hanging had their mouth taped and their faces covered with cloth pieces cut from a single bed sheet. Only Narayan's face was not covered. The bodies will be handed over to the family for last rites later in the day.- PTI
16:58 (IST)
16:25 (IST)
Locals say occult practice theory diverts attention from poor law and order situation of Burari
Locals rubbish theories of occult practices and say that such theories are being manufactured to distract people from the fact that law and order is in a pitiable condition in Burari. They believe that 11 people could not possibly have killed themselves. (Inputs by Pallavi Rebbapragada)
16:11 (IST)
Police have launched a manhunt for a tantrik 'Baba Janegadi' in connection with the deaths
Police got to know about him after they received the SDM reports which had statements of relatives, and friends of the family, CNN-News 18 reported.
15:56 (IST)
75-year-old elderly woman also committed suicide, and was not murdered: Postmortem report
According to CNN-News 18, post-mortem of all the eleven members of the family has been completed. 75-year-old elderly woman also committed suicide, and was not murdered. She committed suicide with the help of a belt. The belt has been recovered by the police officers.
15:52 (IST)
Family was religious, scribbled chants on blackboard outside their shop: Burari local
Kishan Kumar, a local from Burari, explains the theory linking the 11 pipes to the 11 bodies. Kumar says the pipes are connected to the washrooms and he also said that he has often noticed the family scribbling religious messages like dohas and shlokas on a blackboard outside their shop. (Input by Pallavi Rebbapragada)
15:25 (IST)
Bhatia family was very warm towards others, says customer to family
Rajinder Singh has been a resident of Burari for 50 years and was a customer of the Bhatias, who owned a hardware shop. Singh said there were a completely ordinary family and very warm towards everyone. (Inputs: Pallavi Rebbapragada)
15:19 (IST)
Bhatia family was just like another ordinary family, says neighbour of 20 years
Vimal Soni, the Bhatia family's neighbour for 20 years in in Burari, said they were just another ordinary family. He said that the family didn't come down to collect the milk in the morning. He also said on the 17th of June they celebrated the engagement of the grand daughter in a big way. Vimal Soni, the neighbour, also added that the family owned a big dog who didn't bark at night. (Inputs: Pallavi Rebbapragada )
15:12 (IST)
Former neighbour says Bhatia family was religious, could not have been into occult practices
Trilokinath Bhatia, a close aide of the deceased family has come from Fatehabad, Haryana. He was their neighbour for 10 years and said they were too religious for occult practices.
Inputs: Pallavi Rebbapragada
15:10 (IST)
Narayan Devi's daughter Sujata said family was not superstitious and was looking forward to grand daughter's marriage
Video courtesy: Pallavi Rebbapragada
14:55 (IST)
Narayan Devi's daughter Sujata rubbishes speculations on occult practices
Image courtesy: Pallavi Rebbapragada
14:53 (IST)
Daughter Sujata who lives in Panipat believes 'someone killed family'
According to NDTV, the eldest member among the deceased, Narayan Dev, had one more son and daughter who are in shock. Her eldest son Dinesh Bhatia lives in Rajasthan's Kota and daughter Sujata lives in Panipat in Haryana. "I can't believe that they committed suicide. Everyone was so happy. Someone has killed my family and the police have to find them," Sujata Bhatia was quoted by PTI.
14:46 (IST)
Police barricades on the lane leads to Bhatias' home in Sant Nagar, Burari
Image courtesy: Pallavi Rebbapragada
14:43 (IST)
Some of the notes stated that 'one will not die' but attain something 'great'
Some of the notes stated that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. Some of the notes stated that "one will not die" but attain something "great", the officer said. The bodies will be handed over to the family for last rites this afternoon. Locals had said Meenu was preparing for entrance exams and Nidhi was pursuing her Masters. Except for the oldest member Narayan Devi, the others were found hanging from the iron-mesh in the ceiling, police said. - PTI
14:32 (IST)
An image in a newspaper showing the family members hanging draws flak
An English daily and its corresponding news channel carried the photographs of family members hanging with their eyes blindfolded and has drawn huge criticism from several quarters.
14:28 (IST)
Reports say family responsible for their own deaths, says CNN-News 18
14:26 (IST)
Teens killed first, women followed, says report
According to the forensic report, accessed by CNN-News18, the two teenagers — Dhruv and Shivam — were killed first, after which the women followed. The 75-rear-old Narayan Devi was the last one to die.
14:22 (IST)
Family responsible for their own deaths, says report
Forensic report revealed that all fingerprints found belonged to the family members. The report also said that the family was responsible for its own death, reported CNN-News18.
14:09 (IST)
Victim's granddaughter got engaged nearly 15 days before deaths
According to reports, deceased Narayan Devi's (75) granddaughter got engaged on 17 June.
14:00 (IST)
Delhi Police on lookout for 'tantric baba'
According to reports, the Delhi Police found a clue related to a tantric practitioner. The officials are currently on the lookout for him.
13:55 (IST)
Family members turned deeply religious after an accident and a 'miracle'
Relatives of the deceased family members said that the Bhatia family turned deeply religious following an accident and a "miracle".
According to Hindustan Times, ten years ago Lalit Bhatia (45), who ran a plywood business, had an accident when a plank of wood fell on him. “As a result, Lalit lost his speaking ability. The family tried all possible medications, but when that did not work, they began praying. When Lalit was cured of the problem, his family attributed it to their prayers. It made the family very spiritual,” the report quoted a family friend Hemant Sharma as saying.
13:50 (IST)
WATCH: All you need to know about the Delhi Burari deaths
13:45 (IST)
Liquid chemical found in stomachs of five deceased
In a fresh twist to the case, liquid chemical substances were found in the stomachs of the five deceased, reported News18.
13:40 (IST)
Eldest family member may have been influenced by 'tantric', says psychiatrist
A psychiatrist S Tandon told ANI that the eldest family member may have been influenced by a 'tantric', resulting all the others to follow as well.
13:36 (IST)
Bodies to be cremated today
Except the 77-yr-old woman, all the bodies were found hanging from the ceiling, most of them blindfolded with their hands tied behind their back. According to NDTV, the bodies will be cremated on Monday.
13:32 (IST)
RECAP: Saw them playing cricket on Saturday night, says friend of 2 minors
A friend of the two minor boys said he had seen them playing cricket on Saturday night. The 15-year-old boys were Class 9 students of Virendra Public School, their friend, Jatin, said. He said, "I saw them playing last night. Bhavnesh uncle was happy seeing them. It is hard to believe they are not here with us."
Devesh Malik, one of the neighbours of the family, said their children were finding it hard to come to terms with what had happened. "Our children are scared. They are not able to gauge what has happened," he added.
13:29 (IST)
Relatives dismiss 'religious angle', suspect foul play
A relative of the 11 members of a family suspected foul play in the incident, saying that "they were educated people and not superstitious". He said it was a prosperous family. "They were not facing any financial issues and had not taken even a single loan. Everything was fine. Why would they kill themselves?" he said.
The relative contended that even if they had to commit suicide, they would not have covered their faces and taped their mouth. Another relative said they had spoken to the family last night. They sounded "normal" and did not show any signs of depression, he added.
13:25 (IST)
RECAP: Arvind Kejriwal visits Sant Nagar area
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday visited Sant Nagar in Burari area where 11 members of a family were found dead.
13:19 (IST)
RECAP: Family was into plywood business
The family was also into plywood business. They were living in the locality for more than 20 years, residents said. They said they were in a state of shock after hearing what had happened. Members of the family, who had come from places outside Delhi, alleged that the 11 members were killed.
12:52 (IST)
Family's grandson says they were educated, not superstitious
12:51 (IST)
'Cloth used to cover mouth should be tightly tied': Details police found in notes (2/2)
6. After tying the hands, if a piece of cloth remains, use it to blindfold people.
7. Cloth used to cover mouth should be tightly tied.
8. The more dedication one shows in the process, the better will be the result.
9. It should be done between 12-1 am. Hawan/puja should be done before that.
10. Everyone should have same thoughts. If you are able to do this, it will be quite fruitful.
12:50 (IST)
'Use rope along with saree or dupatta': Details in handwritten notes mentioned (1/2)
1. Choose Thursday/Sunday.
2. Tie cloth well, nothing but zero should be visible. Along with rope use saree or dupatta.
3. Rituals should be followed seven days before killing. Rituals should be strictly followed, if the spirit invoked within these days, “finish your work” the following day.
4. If the elderly woman can't stand, you can “make her go to sleep” in the next room.
5. Use dim lights.
12:44 (IST)
Handwritten notes talk about how to 'attain salvation'
A police officer said the notes were found in registers. "They talk about how a person can overcome fear by covering eyes and mouth, how a person can attain salvation, and how the human body is temporary but the soul continues to live on," he said.
"The notes talk about if a group of 11 people follows these rituals, all problems would ease out and they would attain salvation. Some notes have dates on which they were written while others don't. All the notes talk about reaching the end and gaining peace," one of the investigators said.
12:40 (IST)
RECAP: Handwritten notes found mention how 'hands and legs are to be tied'
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Alok Kumar said the diary contained "exhaustive notes" on how their "hands and legs are to be tied", similar to how the bodies were found. Another investigator said that the notes talk about how "all problems would ease out and they would attain salvation" if they followed these rituals. "All the notes talk about reaching the end and gaining peace," the officer added.
12:38 (IST)
Police examining call data records
Investigators are scrutinising the call data records of the family members and their internet search history, as well. The police said they will also interrogate the family of the man who was engaged to marry one of the deceased.
12:29 (IST)
Family had books on 'occult rituals': SDM report
A report by the sub-divisonal magistrate to the crime branch says that the entire family had books on 'occult rituals' and religious practices, and which they performed as well.
12:23 (IST)
Police finds 11 pipes in house
The Delhi Police has found 11 pipes in the house where 11 members of family were found dead in Delhi's Burari area. According to reports, these pipes were found near the entrance. The police is also speaking to priests and pandits. Officials are investigating if the deaths were related to suicide and superstition.
12:13 (IST)
RECAP: 10 found hanging from ceiling; 77-yr-old woman found lying on floor
Ten of those dead were found hanging from an iron-mesh in the ceiling for ventilation, while the body of a 77-year-old woman was lying on the floor in another room of the house, the police said. Two of the deceased were children — both aged 15.
The deceased were identified as Narayan Devi (77), her daughter Pratibha (57), two sons Bhavnesh (50) and Lalit Bhatia (45). Bhavnesh's wife Savita (48) and their three children — Meenu (23) and Nidhi (25) and Dhruv (15) — were also found dead, along with Lalit's wife Tina (42) and their 15-year-old son Shivam.
Pratibha's daughter Priyanka (33), who got engaged last month and was supposed to get married in November, was also found dead.
12:11 (IST)
Postmortem of five bodies to take place today
According to reports, postmortem of the remaining five bodies will be done today. The Delhi Police will also address a press conference during the day where they will inform what the investigations conducted so far have revealed.
12:08 (IST)
Last person to see family alive was a food delivery man
According to CCTV camera footage, a delivery man dropped off food at the family's house in Burari at 10.40 pm on Saturday. He was the last person to see the family before their neighbours reported them dead on Sunday morning, ANI reported.
12:06 (IST)
'Donated deceased's eyes to provide eyesight to 22 people': Family friend Navneet Batra
Speaking to ANI, Navneet Batra, a friend of the family whose 11 members were found dead in Burari area, said that their eyes have been donated. "First thing we did was to donate their eyes that could provide eyesight to 22 people, considering the family was religious and always wanted to help others. We gave approval letter yesterday."
11:58 (IST)
RECAP: Family of 11 found hanging in Delhi's Burari area yesterday
Eleven members of a family, including two minor boys, were found dead under mysterious circumstances at their home in north Delhi's Burari on Sunday, with the police suspecting the family followed some religious practice to "attain salvation".
11:46 (IST)
Postmortem reveals six family members died of 'ligature hanging'
Media reports on Monday said that the police has completed the postmortem of six bodies and found hanging to be the cause of death. According to ANI, police sources mentioned 'ligature hanging' as the reason behind the death and found no signs of struggle. The family members had donated their eyes.