Burari deaths: Tantrik questioned, cops find no links

New Delhi, July 6: Delhi police on Friday questioned a tantrik (occultist) in relation with the mysterious deaths of 11 members of a family in Delhi's Burari area.

However, no connection has been found between Geeta Maa and the alleged mass suicide, news agency ANI quoted Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police as saying.

According to News 18 reports, Geeta Maa has also confessed to her role in the deaths. "I pushed them to suicide," report quoted her as saying. Geeta Maa can also be heard in a video as saying that the family was "Possesed by evil spirits".

The family of 11, including seven women and two children, was found dead on Sunday (July 1). While 10 of them were found hanging in the hallway, the eldest member of the family, 77-year-old Narayan Devi, was found dead on the floor.

Most of the dead had their limbs tied, eyes blindfolded and ears plugged with cotton. Multiple notes indicated the family, allegedly guided by Narayan's son Lalit Bhatia, was practising some kind of occult ritual.

The police had also found a diary from the house where 11 people were found dead which had psychological musings and notes about "salvation", "shunya" and "appeasing God".

On Wednesday, the police had recovered CCTV footage that showed some members bringing stools and wires that were used for their hanging.

Police were also probing whether the family followed any godman, who might have issued the instructions found in the notes. The notes had stated that "the human body is temporary and one can overcome fear by covering their eyes and mouth".