Doctors have however said a 'suicide pact' remains only a theory at this point of time. As the deaths of 11 family members at a north Delhi home remained shrouded in mystery, mental health experts said on Monday that people in mass suicide cases generally "show commonalities" and suggested that a "psychological autopsy" be conducted in the case to unravel the puzzle. The deceased, including seven women and two children, were found hanging from an iron-mesh in the ceiling on Sunday. The incident has baffled investigators and psychiatrists. Police suspect the deaths were part of a suicide pact after handwritten notes found at the house indicated a "religious or spiritual angle". But two members of the family on Monday dismissed the suicide pact theory and insisted the 11 people were killed. A senior doctor from the department of psychiatry at AIIMS suggested that a "psychological autopsy" be conducted in the case to get to the bottom of the mystery. "In layman's term, a psychological autopsy would mean interacting with the victims' relatives, friends and acquaintances to see if there was any pattern - like if they were reading the same book or similar themed books or were part of any cult or were influenced by any occultist," he told PTI on the condition of anonymity. The doctor said the cause of the deaths has not been ascertained yet and therefore a 'suicide pact' remains only a theory at this point of time. Asked what factors drove people to commit suicide en masse, he said: "People who are emotionally very unstable, gullible or vulnerable are prone to enter into suicide pacts". Generally there are several commonalities in such cases, whether of age, religion or some other aspect. "In the Burari case, there is an entire spectrum of age from 15 to 77. And the emotional status of a young person is very different from a middle-aged or old person. Also the number 11 in this case is rather overwhelming for committing such acts," he said. Ten of those dead were found hanging from the iron-mesh, while the body of the 77-year-old Narayan Devi was lying on the floor in a room of the house. The deceased had their mouth taped and faces covered with pieces of cloth cut from a single bed-sheet. Only Devi' face was not covered. Bhawna Barmi, senior clinical psychologist at Fortis Escorts Hospital in Okhla, said: "A common theme in majority of suicidal cults is that they believe in an apocalyptic theology." "Mass or cult suicides occur mostly in groups that feel stuck in their lives and they believe that they are unable to control the consequences of their life. Hence, they often believe that death is the only possible option," she said. Asked what behavioral signs such people exhibited, she said: "Signs include isolation from any group activity or gathering or avoidance of any social interaction with behavioral changes that can be evident if paid attention to." Other signs include talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose; talking about feeling trapped or being in unbearable pain; and talking about being a burden to others. "The society around such people should be aware of what is happening around us for our own and other's safety. We should be vigilant and remove the idea of being ignorant just because it is convenient," Ms Barmni said.<doc-sep>A relative of the 11 members of a family who were found dead under mysterious circumstances at their home in north Delhi's Burari today suspected foul play in the incident, saying that "they were educated people and not superstitious". Ketan Nagpal, whose maternal grandmother was one of the deceased, alleged that they were killed and dismissed the police theory that it could be a case of "suicide pact". 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. Nagpal 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. "The family did not have enmity with anyone. But we suspect someone killed them," he alleged. The relatives claimed that there was no "religious angle" linked to the deaths. "They believed in God but who believes in such things (referring to handwritten notes talking about salvation). They were educated people and not superstitious," said one of the relatives. Police found handwritten notes which indicated a "religious or spiritual angle" to the deaths. A police officer said a probe will be conducted to find "if the family indulged in occult practices" or they followed "any godman". The deceased were identified as Narayan Devi (77), who was found dead on the floor, her daughter Pratibha (57), her two sons Bhavnesh (50) and Lalit Bhatia (45). Bhavnesh's wife Savita (48) and their three children - Meenu (23), Nidhi (25) and Dhruv (15). Lalit Bhatia's wife Tina (42) and their 15-year-old son Shivam were also among those found dead. Pratibha's daughter Priyanka (33), who was engaged last month and would have married by the end of this year, was also found hanging.<doc-sep>Recently, there was an outburst in the media about an incident that took place in North Delhi. I’m not 100% sure whether it was mass suicide or a planned conspiracy. In Delhi’s Burari area, 11 members of the Bhatia family were found dead inside their house. During a search of the house by investigating agencies, certain handwritten notes were found which point towards some spiritual or mystical practices that might have been observed by the whole family. There was no damage done to any item in the house, and there were no signs of a robbery – all precious items including jewellery was present on their bodies. A report in Times Now stated, “The press release by Delhi Police says that certain handwritten notes were found on the crime site. The notes point towards observance of some definite spiritual or mystical practices by the whole family. Not only this, the notes bear a strong similarity with the manner in which the eyes and the ears of the deceased were tied and taped.” The notes which were found by the investigating team reflected that the family followed the instructions written on them. Before the incident, there was an order made for 20 chapatis which were delivered around 10:30 pm. It was perhaps part of the ritual. The names of the deceased are as follows: 1. Narayan Devi, 77 (female) 2. Lalit, 42 (male) 3. Bhupti Bhatia, 46 (female) 4. Tina Bhatia (daughter in law), 38 (female) 5. Savita Bhatia (daughter in law), 42 (female) 6. Neetu Bhatia (granddaughter), 24 (female) 7. Meenu Bhatia (granddaughter), 22 (female) 8. Priyanka Bhatia (granddaughter), 30 (female) 9. Dhruv Bhatia (grandson), 12 (male) 10. Shivam Bhatia (grandson), 12 (male) 11. Pratibha Bhatia (daughter), 55 (female) It is speculated that Lalit, the son of Narayan Devi was the mastermind behind this. He always wanted his late father to lead his family towards salvation. The steps which were reflected in the notes were followed as they were.“Everyone will help each other untie their hands,” said a note which was recovered. Reports say that the family members believed that they won’t die and they thought that God will save them. According to a news report by IndiaTV, “The notes state that if one follows a set of rituals, their problems would be solved and God would be happy. It seems that the rituals went awry. The notes mention how after climbing the stool and covering one’s face and taping the mouth, and wrapping a chunni around one’s neck, one has to climb down and help others,” an officer privy to the probe said.” 5 Key Observations About This Incident 1. There were no signs of struggle: During the investigation, the bodies were recovered and there was no sign of struggle or resistance. It appears that they helped each other hang to death. It also suggests that everyone was following the rituals. NDTV has reported, “The police say the notes contain details of a “badh puja” ritual, which means “everybody should hang like the branches of a banyan tree”. Everybody should be on board, it was asserted in the jottings.” 2. The door was found open in the morning: At 7.30 am when someone went to fetch the Bhatias to open their shop, they were able to enter since the main door was already open. This could indicate two things: Either the family knew that they were going to kill themselves or that there was someone who left the house after the deaths. “I can’t believe that they committed suicide. Everyone was so happy. Someone has killed my family and the police have to find them,” said Sujata Nagpal who lived in Panipat with the family. 3. The family was well-educated and religious: The Bhatia family was not known to be superstitious. The family was well-educated and most of them were well aware of people pretending to be spiritual babas. It seems that only Lalit was interested in salvation since he had asked his late father for the same. Neighbours said that the family was religious and they never saw anything suspicious. The family would write religious ‘shlokas’ on a board outside their house every day. “They would chant ‘Gayatri Mantra’ and worship the gods once during morning and once in the evening. We never saw any ‘tantrik’ or godman visiting their house. They were helpful and humble,” one of the neighbours told PTI. 4. All the members were found hanging with a cloth wrapped around their faces: A report by UC News states, “The members were found hanging from a mesh in their ceiling in the hallway, all close together. Details in the notebooks match how they were found – faces wrapped almost entirely, ears plugged with cotton, mouths taped and hands tied behind the back. There were five stools, probably shared by the 10 members.” 5. There was allegedly no role of any Godman: The police have denied that there was any role of any Godman. But the notes in the diary and where they were taken from are still under investigation. Featured image source: Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images<doc-sep>The death of 11 members of the same Indian family, who were found blindfolded and hanging from an iron ceiling grate in a Delhi house, continues to puzzle detectives and fascinate the public, as more details have emerged. Police are working on several theories over the case labelled the “Delhi house of horrors” by the Indian media; the main one being that the family taken part in a ritualistic suicide pact. On Thursday, Delhi police said the family had ordered 20 rotis, or chapatis, delivered at their doorstep before hanging themselves on Saturday night, with no other food to accompany them. The delivery boy, named as Rishi during interviews with several TV news channels, was the last person to see the family alive. "They had placed an order for 20 rotis at 10.30 pm, I went to deliver it at 10.45 pm. The daughter took the order and asked her father to pay me. Everything was normal,'' he said. The next morning, 10 members of the Bhatia family, including two teenage brothers and and a sister engaged to be married, were found hanging in the hallway.<doc-sep>
In a suspected case of mass suicide, the bodies of 11 members of a family were found — 10 of them hanging from the roof — in mysterious circumstances in their north Delhi home on Sunday morning. They included seven women, two men, and two boys. The Bhatia family had been living in the area for the last two decades, running grocery and plywood businesses from the two-storeyed house. A diary found from the house at Sant Nagar in Burari indicated they believed they could meet God if all of them ended their lives in a similar manner. Autopsy will be done on Monday. "Certain hand-written notes have been found which point towards observance of some definite spiritual/mystical practices by the family. These notes have strong similarity with the manner in which they killed themselves," said police official Vinit Kumar. Eight mobile phones were found in the drawer of their pooja room with tapes on them. So was jewellery and some cash. Gold jewellery on the bodies of the women were found intact. A family member who lives elsewhere, however, alleged it was a case of murder. Most bodies were found blindfolded — their mouth taped shut and hands and legs tied. The first such incident in the city attracted large crowds of shocked and curious people, and had the police scrambling to probe all possible angles — including suicide and murder. Investigators are questioning neighbours and looking for CCTV footage for leads. A case of murder has been registered. The dead were identified as Narayan Devi (77 ), her two sons Bhavnesh (50) and Lalit (45), her daughters-in-law Savita (48) and Teena (42 ), daughter Pratibha (57 ), grandchildren Priyanka (33), Nitu (25), Monu (23), Dhruv (15) and Shivam (15). Ten bodies were found hanging, facing each other, with their hands and legs tied in a room on the first floor. Most of them were blindfolded with their mouth taped shut. Devi was found on the floor in another room, with a belt under her body. The police suspects it broke and she fell down. While Lalit ran a plywood business, Bhavnesh had a grocery store. A neighbour made the grisly discovery after checking on the family as they failed to open their shop. Locals and neighbours said the family was religious and would pray thrice a day. "They were busy with wedding preparations. Both brothers were friendly. They couldn't have committed suicide. I spoke to Bhavnesh last night. He was very happy and there was no sign of any stress," said a neighbour. Other neighbours said the family did not have any discord among themselves. There were no bullet marks on the bodies, and there was no sign of forced entry into the house. The family had started writing the diary in December, and the last entry was made on June 26. The date to "meet" God was decided as June 30. However they hanged themselves on Saturday night. Devi's daughter Sujata who is married and lives in Haryana's Panipat said it was a case of pre-planned murder. Her son Ketan Nagpal said he had not seen the diary. Post-mortem will be conducted by a board at Maulana Azad Medical College on Monday. A call was made to the police by Devi's neighbour Gurcharan Singh who had reached the grocery store to purchase milk. The shop which would generally open by 6am was shut, prompting Singh to knock the door which was ajar. He went in and discovered the bodies after which the police was informed around 7: 30am. The family's dog 'jackie' was found alive on the terrace. Investigators said that the main and the only entrance to the house was open. Forensics teams visited the house. The case has been transferred to the Crime Branch. THE HORROR The ten bodies were found hanging, facing each other, with their hands and legs tied in a room on the first floor. Most of them were blindfolded with their mouth taped shut. ALL EYES ON AUTOPSY PACT? 7 WOMEN, 2 BOYS AMONG DEAD The dead included 7 women, 2 men, & 2 boys. 10 found hanging, one lay on floor. Most bodies found blindfolded — their mouths taped shut, hands and legs tied. NEIGHBOUR MAKES GRISLY DISCOVERY A neighbour saw the bodies after checking on the family as they failed to open their shop. The Bhatias ran grocery and plywood businesses from the two-storyed house at Sant Nagar in Burari.