NEW DELHI: Eleven members of a family who were found dead at their home in North Delhi's Burari in July did not commit suicide, but it was an "accident that occurred during a ritual", the psychological autopsy report has revealed.
The Delhi Police had written to the Central Bureau of Investigation in July to conduct the psychological autopsy. It received the report on Wednesday evening.
"On the basis of psychological autopsy study on the deceased, the incident was not a suicide but an accident that occurred during the course of performing a ritual. None of the deceased had an intention to put an end to his/her life," the report read.
During the course of the psychological autopsy, the CBI's Central Forensic Science Laboratory analysed the notes in registers found in the house and statements of friends and members of the Chundawat family recorded by police.
The CFSL also interviewed the eldest son of the family matriarch Dinesh Singh Chundawat and his sister Sujata Nagpal and their families.
Psychological autopsy attempts to study a person's mental state by analysing medical records, interviewing friends and family and conducting research into their state of mind prior to death, a senior police officer said.
The officer said the CBI, who were handed over the diaries the family had written over a span of 11 years which talked about attaining God, concurred with the police investigation.
According to sources, police, during investigation, had found that one of the members, Lalit Chundawat, claimed to have visions of his dead father and would dictate certain things to his family members.
He had driven the family to perform the rituals in which they apparently tied their feet and hands and covered their faces with pieces of cloth.
Ten of the 11 members of the family were found hanging from an iron mesh in the ceiling of the house, while the body of 77-year-old Narayan Devi, the head of the family, was lying on the floor in another room of the house.
Her daughter Pratibha, 57, and her two sons - Bhavnesh, 50, and Lalit, 45, - were among the dead. Bhavnesh's wife Savita, 48, and their three children - Maneka, 23, Neetu, 25, and Dhirendra,15, were also found dead.
Others who were found hanging were Lalit's wife Tina, 42, their 15-year-old son Dushyant and Pratibha's daughter Priyanka, who was engaged last month and was to marry by the year-end.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
