A Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report has revealed that the real reason behind the mysterious Burari family deaths at their home in North Delhi was not suicide but it was an "accident that occurred during a ritual". Probing the case, the Delhi Police had written to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct the psychological autopsy of the 11 family members who were found hanging at their home in July this year.
"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, which was received by the police on Wednesday evening, read.
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The CFSL team had also questioned 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.
During its investigation, the police had found that one of the Burari family members, Lalit Chundawat, was hallucinating about his dead father and would give "instructions" to to the other members. It was Lalit's delusions that drove the family to perform the rituals in which they apparently tied their hands and feet and gagged their faces.
The CBI, who analysed the hand written notes written by the family over a span of 11 years which mentioned "attaining salvation", also concurred with police's investigation into the case.
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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.