Burari Deaths 2.0: History Repeats Itself

In an eerie repeat of the infamous Burari deaths that shook India six years ago, another suspected mass suicide has been discovered in Madhya Pradesh. Five members of a family died tragically in the tragedy that happened in Ratlam. The incident brings back memories of the chilling events that happened in Delhi’s Burari area in 2018. However, what’s eerie is that both the deaths seemed to have occurred on the same date, July 1, only six years apart.

This article compares the details of the two incidents, highlighting the blood-curdling similarities and differences between both cases.

The recent tragedy in Madhya Pradesh

What was an otherwise normal day in Ratlam saw the recovery of five dead bodies from a house, thereby shocking the people in the area. The deceased are since said to belong to one family, and the mode of recovery hints at a collective suicide within the family. The police are probing to ascertain possible causes behind what they claim to be mass suicide, like financial constraints, family feuds or otherwise mental factors.

The deceased were identified as members of the same family: Rakesh Dodwa (27), his wife Lalita Dodwa (25), and their sons Prakash (7) and Akshay (5). The bodies of the parents and two boys were found hanging from the ceiling with a rope, while their daughter Laxmi (9) lay on the floor.

Prima facie, it seems to be a case of suicide

News agency PTI

The police has launched an investigation into the matter, and a team is headed by the Sub Divisional Officer of Police, Alirajpur. An official added.

No suicide note was found at the scene

The incident is believed to have occurred between 7 pm on Sunday and 6 am on Monday, according to the report.

A look back at Burari

The Burari fatalities in 2018 were one of the most mysterious and unsettling mass suicide instances in recent Indian history. Ten of the eleven Chundawat family members who were discovered dead at home had their tongues bound and their eyes blinded as they hung from a makeshift scaffold. The elderly matriarch was the sole family member to pass away in a different way – strangled in a separate room. According to the police, it was an instance of collective psychosis brought on by the conviction that a supernatural force will intervene to save them.

In a diary maintained by the family, it was clearly stated that,

Initial media reports had cited that one of the family members, Lalit Chundawat, had allegedly designed the incident in the belief that his deceased father’s spirit had entered his body to lead the family. The Burari deaths were later associated with shared hallucination or psychosis in news reports. According to PTI, quoting an investigating officer,

“The notes talk about how one can attain salvation and how the human body is temporary but the soul always continues to live on”

Similarities that send shivers

• Family dynamics: Another similarity between the cases is that the victims were members of the same family who maintained a close relationship and lived under the same roof. It, therefore, indicates that there was the common aspect of psychological dynamics going on within these families and how the presence of one or more dominant persons affects the entire group.
• Method of death: Both the current occurrence in Madhya Pradesh and the Burari deaths involve procedures that point to a coordinated attempt. While the specifics of the Ratlam case are still being worked out, the methodical arrangement of the bodies and the ceremonies observed in Burari were startling. Early signs suggest that the suicides were premeditated rather than the result of random acts.
• Psychological factors: Both conditions can involve deep psychological issues. In Ratlam, the preliminary inquiries are considering factors such as mental illness and poverty; in Burari, it was basically the belief that redemption could come through death.

Diverging details

• Scale and rituals: The Burari case was notable for its high death toll and strange customs, such as family members keeping journals with instructions in them. There has been no indication of any documented proof of a shared strategy or ritualistic aspects in the Madhya Pradesh case, which has fewer victims.
• Public reaction and media coverage: The Burari deaths captured the nation as a whole, with the media and the citizens, leaving no stone unturned considering all the whys and hows of the situation. The Madhya Pradesh incident, being equally traumatizing, has still been relatively sober in media hype, perhaps because it does not host as many instant strange elements as the Burari incident.

The unanswered questions

The recent suspected mass suicide in Madhya Pradesh is a grim reminder of the Burari deaths. While the probe is on in the Madhya Pradesh case, there are several questions that still need convincing answers: What were the reasons that led this family to such terrible ends? Were there invisible forces or pressures at work, as in the Burari case? Only the probes through psychological autopsies and other forensic inquiries that follow might reveal the answers.

These tragedies serve as reminders of intricate relationships between family, psychiatric problems and forces often unseen which may lead to fatal consequences. The echoes of Burari remind us, even as we await more information from Ratlam, that it is time for greater sensitivity to mental health issues and help, especially in close-knit family systems.

Let’s Unpack This Together?

These incidents are not just news; they are echoes of deeper societal issues. What lessons can we draw from these tragedies? Share this article to invite more voices into this crucial discussion. Drop your insights or questions in the comments and let’s engage in a thoughtful exchange of ideas.

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