The Bhatias were a spiritual lot and wrote a spiritual message on a board outside their house daily, said their neighbours on Sunday.
Eleven members of the family were found dead under mysterious circumstances in north Delhi’s Burari in the morning.
“I used to visit their grocery shop every morning to buy milk and every day I would read the message on the board. They put them up regularly and it was a habit for everyone in the locality to read them,” said Simran Kaur, a neighbour.
Locals said it never appeared that the Bhatias were into any ‘mystical’ practice that could harm them. The family visited the nearby gurdwara every day, were polite and friendly with everyone. The family was well-educated and doing well in business. One of the deceased, Priyanka Bhatia, was employed with an MNC in Noida.
“The children were disciplined and studious. They were never seen roaming on the street,” said Bhupendra, a neighbour.
Gurucharan Singh, who informed the police about the incident, said he saw the bodies hanging when he entered the house. They were all blindfolded. “Their pet dog was locked on the terrace and was barking continuously. After seeing 10 bodies hanging next to each other, I rushed outside to inform the others,” said Mr. Singh.
‘Probing all angles’
The police said they were probing all angles and have not ruled out the possibility of foul play. “We are also analysing the call details of the family members to get more clues in the case. A team is looking for CCTVs around the house. The workers in the shops owned by the family will be questioned. The house has been sealed till investigation is over,” said a senior police officer. He said a notebook with handwritten notes has been recovered from one of the rooms. The notebook will be sent to study the nature of the content. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari also visited the house, and spoke to the locals and relatives of the deceased.
