Change Edition – The Burari Deaths

Image+via+the+Daily+Advent

Image via the Daily Advent

Alma Ramirez Mata, Writer

This mass suicide/murder happened in 2018 in the Burari area in Delhi, India.  The Bhatia family of 11 were found dead at their home. Narayani Devi  (80), Lalit Bhatia (50), Savita (48), Tina (42), Pratibha Bhatia (57),  Priyanka (33), Nitu (25), Monu (23), Dhruv (15), and Shivam (15) were all found hanging from their ceiling’s ventilator. 

They were outward a very happy family, which made it seem almost impossible for it to have been a suicide. People from around town, including the cops, also had their doubts about it having been a murder. There was no evidence of forced entry. The family-owned a milk shop that was usually crowded with clients. One morning a citizen who was surprised by the closure of the store went to the owners’ house to check on them. 

The door was open, which he thought was odd so he walked inside, where he saw something so unexpected and felt so shocked. Immediately ran to let the police know as more and more people found out about this tragedy. It was so horrific that it was all over the news on thousands of channels. As soon as the news spread, thousands of people went to the scene to record the following events. 

Once the cops arrived and inspected, they found cotton in the victims’ ears, and the victims were all blindfolded and their mouths were taped shut. Devi was found dead lying beside her bed. The scene was so confusing that the cops didn’t know whether to rule it as a murder or a suicide. Many people didn’t call it suicide because their family appeared to be happy and their business was thriving, which made people think that there was no way they’d committed suicide altogether. The investigators suddenly came across 11 diaries that were written over the course of a decade by Lalit in which he mentioned that he was possessed by the spirit of his dead father who gave Lalit “orders.”