Ambulances carrying the bodies of 11 members from the Bhatia family for cremation (Express Photo/Amit Mehra)
Three weeks after 11 members of a family were found hanging at their Burari home, the Delhi Police have approached the CBI’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to carry out a ‘psychological autopsy’ on the dead and their relatives. This, police said, will help them ascertain their mental condition.
This is the second time police are using ‘forensic psychology’ to crack a case, the first case being the death of Sunanda Pushkar.
Psychological autopsy, according to police, is a “reconstructive evaluation to understand an individual’s mental state around the time of death for the purpose of ascertaining the cause”.
The method involves collecting information on the dead through “structured interviews of family members, relatives or friends as well as attending health care personnel”.
On July 1, Narayani Devi (77), her sons Bhuvanesh (50) and Lalit (45), daughters-in-law Savita (48) and Teena (42), daughter Pratibha (57), and grandchildren Priyanka (33), Nidhi (25), Maneka (23), Dhruv (15) and Shivam (15) were found dead.
Police said Lalit had told other members of the family that his father’s soul would enter his body to give advice on various issues. According to police, Lalit would maintain a daily diary in which he would record the activities of each person in the house.
Police also found two registers in the house, with detailed notes on how to attain moksha (salvation). Police suspect the family members were affected by a shared psychosis disorder.
On Wednesday, a Crime Branch team approached the CBI’s CFSL unit and submitted the documents in the case.
Sources said a board of psychologists will conduct the ‘psychological autopsy’ and interview close relatives. Police said they have recorded statements of over 100 persons, including relatives, neighbours and friends.