Burari deaths explained

Burari deaths
Location:Street 4
Sant Nagar
Burari, Delhi, India
Date:1 July 2018
Coordinates:28.7414°N 77.1981°W
Type:Mass Suicide, Strangulation
Fatalities:11
Perps:Bhatia Family
Numparts:11

The Burari deaths were a ritual mass suicide[1] of eleven family members of the Chundawat family[2] from Burari, Delhi, India, in 2018. Ten people were found hanged, while the oldest family member, the grandmother, was strangled. The bodies were found on 1 July 2018, in the early morning after the death. The police have ruled the deaths were motivated by shared delusion or psychosis.[3] [4]

Background

The Chundawat family, also known as the Bhatia family by neighbours,[2] had lived in the three-story house[5] in Burari's Sant Nagar neighbourhood for around twenty years, after moving from their native town in Tohana, Haryana. The family ran a grocery shop and plywood business in the area. The family consisted of:

In 2007,[6] Lalit Chundawat's father Bhopal Singh died of natural causes. After the death of their father, Lalit became very introverted. One day, he told his family that he was possessed by his father's soul, who advised him the ways to attain a good life. Since 2007, he along with Priyanka and Nitu had been maintaining a diary on his father's "instructions".[7]

Discovery of bodies

On the morning of 1 July 2018 (at around 7:15 am), the neighbour Gurcharan Singh, who used to go on morning walks with one of the deceased, went to the Chundawat residence. He noticed Lalit Chundawat's absence for the morning walk, as well as the fact that the Chundawat's shops were still not opened. The shops usually used to be opened between 5 and 5:30 am. Gurcharan Singh found the door of the house open and the ten people, including Lalit Chundawat, hanging. He raised an alert by calling other neighbours. Police received the call around 7:30am.[8] [9]

Suicides

Ten of the eleven people – two men, six women and two teens – were found hanging in the courtyard of the house. They were blindfolded and their mouths were taped. Some of the bodies had their hands and feet tied. The grandmother, 80-year-old Narayani Devi, was found dead in another room. It appeared that she had been strangled.[10]

Members of the family were found hanging from a mesh in their ceiling in the hallway, all close together. Their faces were 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.[11] [12] Their faces were covered with cloth pieces cut from a single bed-sheet.[13]

Tommy, the pet dog of the family, was the only survivor in the house.[14] He was chained on the terrace and had a high fever when the police found him after discovering the 11 bodies.[15] It was not clear who tied him. He was later said to have been convalescing at Noida's House of Stray Animals, where he was taken immediately after being rescued.

Investigation

Evidence found in the house pointed to mass suicide for occult reasons. Post-mortem examination of the bodies found no signs of struggle.[16] Due to the public nature of the case, pressure from hardline groups, and accusations of coverup from relatives, police initially recorded the case as a murder and investigated the possibility of a murder motivated by non-occult reasons.[17] [18] [19]

Police found 11 diaries in the house, all of them were maintained for eleven years.[20] [21] Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Alok Kumar stated: "We have found handwritten notes detailing how hands and legs were tied and are quite similar to the manner in which the bodies of 10 persons are found. They are exhaustive notes and we are studying them."[10]

Details written in the diaries match how the bodies were found, with their faces covered, mouths taped, and cotton balls in ears. The bodies were discovered hanged in batches of three, which is what the diaries also state. The diary stated that the Bebe (elderly woman) could not stand and hence should be laying on the bed, which was consistent with the discovery of her being found strangled on the bed. The diary also mentions: "everyone will tie their own hands and when the kriya (ritual) is done then everyone will help each other untie their hands", indicating that the family was not expecting to die.[11]

Role of Lalit

Handwriting analysis revealed that these diaries were written by Priyanka (the daughter of Pratibha) and Nitu (the elder daughter of Bhuvnesh), but were supposedly dictated to Lalit by his late father's spirit.[22] Lalit is believed to have masterminded the incident. The crime branch believes that Lalit alone was responsible for tying the hands and legs of the family members. Lalit had told the family members that the soul of his father had entered his body in order to get the family to follow him.[23]

Psychological view

According to psychologists, this sequence of events can be caused by 'shared psychotic disorder', where members blindly follow the instructions of one among them. They propose that Lalit had a 'delusional disorder’. However, their elder brother who stays in Rajasthan, believes that this was a well planned murder and not a suicide. He stated that if this whole thing was done by Lalit and his wife, then their hands should be open instead of tied.[24]

In popular culture

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CCTV footage shows what happened moments before 11 Burari deaths . India Today . 18 July 2018 . 18 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180718174606/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/cctv-footage-shows-what-happened-moments-before-11-burari-deaths-1277850-2018-07-05 . live.
  2. News: Bhandari . Hemani . 16 July 2018 . Burari deaths: 11 bright people with one dark secret . The Hindu . www.thehindu.com . 17 July 2018 . 17 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180717042353/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/11-bright-people-with-one-dark-secret/article24428709.ece . live.
  3. Web site: Burari deaths: Family may have been suffering from 'shared psychosis' . 4 July 2018 . 6 July 2018 . 25 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181225034720/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/burari-deaths-family-may-have-been-suffering-from-shared-psychosis/article24328224.ece . live.
  4. Web site: Burari deaths: CCTV footage reveals more details of suicide plans . 5 July 2018 . 6 July 2018 . 25 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181225034723/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/burari-deaths-cctv-footage-reveals-more-details-of-suicide-plans/article24337886.ece . live.
  5. News: 2018-07-02 . India mystery over Delhi's 'house of mass hangings' . 2024-02-29 . BBC News . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Burari hangings: Week-long 'thanksgiving ritual' led to deaths, Delhi police suspect . 5 July 2018 . 13 July 2018 . 12 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180712060603/https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/week-long-thanksgiving-ritual-led-to-death-of-burari-family-suspect-delhi-police/story-hQuFQ6ws1N1jhY9GlHniaP.html . live.
  7. Web site: Burari deaths: Brother said father's soul possessed him, gave him directions . 3 July 2018 . 7 July 2018 . 25 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181225034716/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/burari-deaths-brother-said-fathers-soul-possessed-him-5243250/ . live.
  8. News: Delhi: 11 members of a family found dead in Burari, investigation on . 1 July 2018 . The Economic Times . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709160655/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/delhi-11-members-of-a-family-found-dead-in-burari-investigation-on/articleshow/64812274.cms . live.
  9. News: Delhi mystery deaths: What we know and what we don't . Times of India . 2 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . 3 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180803072533/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-burari-deaths-what-we-know-so-far/articleshow/64822236.cms . live.
  10. Web site: 11 Mass Dead In A Delhi Family, Handwritten Notes Offer Big Clue . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709154120/https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/burari-deaths-handwritten-notes-reveal-ghastly-details-occult-link-in-delhi-deaths-1876206 . live.
  11. Web site: 10 People Shared 5 Stools In Delhi Family Hangings, Say Police: 10 Facts . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709154606/https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/burari-deaths-delhi-family-found-hanging-thought-they-wouldnt-die-say-cops-10-facts-1876889 . live.
  12. Web site: Burari deaths: One family member tried stopping "ritual" while hanging . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709155032/https://in.news.yahoo.com/burari-deaths-one-family-member-042233121.html . live.
  13. Web site: One Person Stand Guard While Others Hang: Note At Delhi Family's Home . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709153945/https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/burari-deaths-one-person-stand-guard-while-others-hang-note-at-delhi-familys-home-1876736 . live.
  14. News: 2018-07-02 . India mystery over Delhi's 'house of mass hangings' . 2024-02-29 . BBC News . en-GB.
  15. Web site: 2018-07-03 . Burari deaths: Here's a look back at four cult-based mass suicides . 2023-04-07 . The Indian Express . en . 7 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230407181129/https://indianexpress.com/article/research/burari-deaths-delhi-cult-based-mass-suicides-5243910/ . live.
  16. News: Burari News Burari Deaths Case: 11 bodies, a pet dog and a mysterious diary . The Economic Times . 2022-02-23 . 23 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220223075910/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/et-explains/11-bodies-one-pet-dog-and-a-mysterious-diary-the-curious-case-of-burari-deaths-explained/articleshow/64823979.cms . live.
  17. Web site: Occult Angle Suspected After Family Of 11 Found Dead In Delhi Home . 6 July 2018 . 25 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181225034718/https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/burari-deaths-murder-case-filed-after-11-of-family-found-dead-in-delhi-home-1876139 . live.
  18. News: Bhatia diaries hint at ritual to free 'spirits' from their house - Times of India . . 6 July 2018 . 6 July 2018 . 25 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181225034718/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/bhatia-diaries-hint-at-ritual-to-free-spirits-from-their-house/articleshow/64876367.cms . live.
  19. Web site: Burari family of 11 waited for God to save them, instead got death . https://web.archive.org/web/20180702155626/https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/burari-family-of-11-waited-for-god-to-save-them-instead-got-death/story-bvzsc2kc75x8sVlWbyAsWJ.html . dead . 2 July 2018 . 2 July 2018 .
  20. Web site: 11 deaths, 11 diaries, 11 years: Burari's number mystery foxes all . 5 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . 5 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180705060945/https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/11-deaths-11-diaries-11-years-burari-s-number-mystery-foxes-all/story-TRGD6sUyvOIS7MD5hulAiJ.html . live.
  21. Web site: Eleven People, 11 Diaries, 11 Pipes - Burari's Number Mystery . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709185733/https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/eleven-people-11-diaries-11-pipes-buraris-number-mystery-1878021 . live.
  22. Web site: 2018-07-11 . Businessman said father's spirit warned Burari family about mistakes . 2022-02-23 . Hindustan Times . en . 23 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220223085052/https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/burari-deaths-notes-recovered-say-family-may-not-see-next-diwali-talks-of-wandering-souls/story-U4lwDCCVptCMKx954oaWiO.html . live.
  23. Web site: 2018-07-08 . SUNDAY FEATURE 11 Deaths, 1 House, No Killer: All of Burari Knows the Family Didn't Want to Die . 2022-02-23 . News18 . en . 23 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220223085048/https://www.news18.com/news/india/11-deaths-1-house-no-killer-all-of-burari-knows-the-family-didnt-want-to-die-1804745.html . live.
  24. Web site: Reincarnation, rituals and religion: The unsolved mysteries of Burari deaths . 7 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . 10 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180710011030/https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/burari-diaries-what-happened-in-the-house-where-11-of-family-were-found-dead/story-kUa5qSZhyNXQotEzPApHeL.html . live.
  25. Web site: Netflix Unveils 4 Indian Documentaries – From Karan Johar, Leena Yadav, Vice, and India Today . Arora . Akhil . NDTV . 3 March 2021 . 7 March 2021 . 6 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210306023309/https://gadgets.ndtv.com/entertainment/news/netflix-searching-for-sheela-burari-deaths-indian-predator-crime-stories-india-detectives-documentaries-2382219 . live.
  26. Web site: 2021-10-13 . House of Secrets The Burari Deaths director Leena Yadav: 'The mind behind the crime is the biggest catch' . 2021-10-19 . The Indian Express . en . 19 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211019062412/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/house-of-secrets-the-burari-deaths-netflix-leena-yadav-7562608/ . live.
  27. Web site: Why House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths is the best Indian true crime documentary on Netflix . 2023-04-07 . www.telegraphindia.com . 7 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230407181527/https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/why-house-of-secrets-the-burari-deaths-is-the-best-indian-true-crime-docuseries-on-netflix/cid/1881284 . live.
  28. Web site: 2023-08-11 . Aakhri Sach trailer: Tamannaah Bhatia plays dedicated cop who is trying to find the 'missing element' in case which shook the nation . 2023-08-11 . The Indian Express . en . 11 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230811160118/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/aakhri-sach-trailer-tamannaah-bhatia-plays-dedicated-cop-8888167/ . live .
  29. Web site: 2023-09-26 . Aha announces mystery thriller The Great Indian Suicide . 2024-05-17 . Cinema Express . en.

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