In another twist to the tale of mass suicide in Burari, Delhi Crime Branch discovered that Lalit Bhatia, the 45-year-old businessman who ritualised that death of his 11 family members (including himself), used to watch ghost shows on YouTube.
The police found that Lalit would often research on death and mysteries of the soul. The police found that he often viewed paranormal and ghost shows on YouTube and other sites on his phone.
“The investigation is now focused on the role of Lalit and his wife, Tina. The couple seemed to be involved in suspicious activities. After examining the CCTV footage, it was found that the family used to send one of their servants to purchase household goods,” deputy commissioner of police, Joy N Tirki, told the press today.
According to the police, Lalit was last seen entering the house on the night of the incident (June 30). He could be seen walking on the street with the family pet dog, now being treated in Noida.
“Like his late father Gopaldas, who was in the Indian Army, Lalit gave all family members training in discipline and the code of conduct. He carried out rehearsals of the dos and don’ts during the ritual practices. He also instructed family members often to stand in position, like soldiers, after morning prayers to increase mental strength,” he said, adding, “Lalit used to recall the previous day’s chores and listed activities in his registers and made lists of things on which he instructed other members to follow,”
Prima facie it appears to be a case of “shared psychotic disorder”, according to the police. Help will be taken from psychologists and paranormal experts to further understand the bizarre crime that left the nation in a tizzy.
