Panchkula cops probe family suicide from eight angles

New developments have surfaced in the Mittal family suicide case, as the police intensify their investigation into the incident that shocked Panchkula earlier this week.

Parveen Mittal had allegedly administered poison to himself and five other family members, including three children. Investigators have reconstructed the family’s final movements.

Surveillance footage and call data confirm that the car was parked in Sector 27 from around 6.40 pm until 10 pm on Monday when it was discovered. “Contrary to the rumours, the family did not attend the Hanumant Katha by Bageshwar Dham in Sector 5. It’s absolutely false,” clarified DCP (Crime) Amit Kumar Dahiya, who is overseeing the case.

DCP Dahiya also shared critical insights into the scale and scope of the investigation. “We are conducting a 360-degree investigation exploring eight distinct angles. Five dedicated teams are working meticulously to examine every aspect of the case,” he said.

The eight angles being investigated are banking and financial records, including loan histories and any major transactions by family members; Panchkula CCTV trail analysis to trace the family car’s movement over the past week or month; social media and digital footprint review, focusing on both the Aggarwal Associates Official YouTube channel and the personal accounts of family members; forensic examination of samples collected from the car and the spot; post-mortem report evaluations to determine the exact cause and method of death; evidence collection and verification from physical belongings and digital devices; investigation into business ventures and financial losses faced over the last 15–20 years; and handwriting analysis by experts to confirm if the two similar suicide notes recovered were indeed written by Mittal.

According to police sources, Mittal had been struggling with severe financial distress. Investigators believe this stemmed from a series of failed business ventures, notably a scrap-processing plant in Baddi and a tours and travel operation in Dehradun, which left him burdened with debts amounting to several crores.

In what appears to be a desperate attempt at revival, Mittal turned to digital content creation. He launched a YouTube channel titled ‘Aggarwal Associates Official’ in 2022. While it never gained significant traction — with just over 1,100 subscribers and 39 videos — the channel offered monetary incentives to contributors, promising earnings of up to Rs 13,500 per month for user-submitted videos. The most recent video was uploaded on May 14, showing Parveen inside the same car in which the family was later found dead. In the video, he discusses content-sharing schemes and outlines seven subscription plans, ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 10,000, raising suspicions of a possible failed investment scheme.

A look at earlier videos from the channel presents a stark contrast — scenes of NGO activities in Dehradun, his twin daughters playing and one of the daughters caring for their ailing grandmother Bimla. The last such video on charitable work dates back to May last year. After nearly a year-long silence, Mittal resumed posting only days before the tragedy.