The Delhi Police Crime Branch in its closure report of the Burari Deaths has stated there is no evidence of foul play in the tragedy, Times of India has reported. It said that the deaths appeared to be the result of a suicide pact among the members of the family. The dead bodies were discovered on the 1st of July, 2018.
The closure report was submitted to the Court on the 11th of July. The Court is expected to take up the matter in November. A murder case was registered initially but an investigation that spanned over three years has concluded that the deaths were the consequence of a suicide pact.
The deceased included Narayan Devi, her son Bhavnesh, Lalit and daughter Pratibha, Bhavnesh’s wife Savita and children Nitu, Monu and Dhruv, Lalit’s wife Teena and their son Shivam and Priyanka, daughter of Pratibha.
A diary had been recovered from the house that detailed the manner in which the hanging was to take place. The circumstances of the hanging matched the details listed in the diary entries. Later, a handwriting analysis confirmed that the entries were made by occupants of the house, Priyanka and Lalit.
A source was quoted by ToI as saying, “The family members put their mobile phones on silent mode and stowed them collectively in the bag in the mandir in the house. The diary entries and the manner of their hanging also suggested they were involved in some sort of a ritual. The handwriting analysis determined that most of the diary entries were made by Priyanka and Lalit. CCTV footage also showed no other person entering the house on the day of the incident besides the occupants.”
As per the diary entries, it appeared that Lalit believed that he was communicating with his deceased father Bhopal Singh. His father had passed away back in 2007. The diary entries appeared to suggest that the family members did not expect to die when they hanged themselves from the ceiling. It was part of a ritual, from which they expected to emerge more prosperous on the other side.
House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths
The tragedy was the subject of a Netflix documentary series ‘House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths’. The three-part documentary series was released on the 8th of October, 2021. Directed by Leena Yadav, it drew upon archival footage and statements by the Police and acquaintances to narrate the events of the incident.
The documentary suggested that Lalit suffered from psychosis as a consequence of head injuries and a traumatic near-death experience. The documentary emphasised on the mental health aspect of things and said that Lalit was recommended psychiatric treatment, which he did not receive.
However, there are more questions that remain unanswered about the tragic incident. And there are secrets that are unlikely to be ever revealed.
