House of Burari mass suicide wears a deserted look

The Burari mass suicide by 11 members of the Chundawat family two months ago in Delhi left everyone baffled. Overnight, the Burari house became a cynosure of all eyes and media frenzy, but today the house wears a deserted look. As it waits to be resuscitated to life, not a single surviving member of the Chundawat family has ever come to either visit or live there. Many fear the house is haunted and cursed.

Dinesh Chundawat, eldest brother had vociferously claimed in July that he would stay in the house to dispel rumours evil spirits and curse. According to neighbours, once the media uproar died, the house looks forlorn.

"After the incident, other family members visited the house with the police. It has been more than a month, we haven't seen the house being unlocked," said Vinit Bir, a local. The only thing that signifies a throbbing family inside the house till some months ago are the electricity bills pasted religiously every month.

But there are people interested in things other than the horrific tale of the mass suicide. Realtors in the area claim that people from across the city are interested in buying the shop, which was run by the Chundawat family. However, the surviving members have not shown any inclination of put the house or shop on the block.

"The caretakers are not interested in selling the house or shop. A grocery shop was run here, however, after the incident, it has been locked. Following which a new grocery store has been opened in the lane," said Madan Kumar.

Neighbours continue to vouch for the family's simplicity, something that contradicts the chilling news they woke up to on July 1.

It has been two months since Burari's mass suicide for salvation rocked the nation. Varied theories including murder, involvement of baba/tantrik and occult emerged till police investigation based shared psychosis as the main premise behind the deaths. Numerous scribbling in the registers recovered from the Chundawat's house, point at one of the deceased, Lalit's delusions that his dead father was communicating with him through these notes. The unfounded and bizarre belief was also transferred to other family members, who blindly believed him, thus suffering from shared psychotic disorder (folie à deux).

KIN'S CLAIM

Dinesh Chundawat, eldest brother had vociferously claimed in July that he would stay in the house to dispel rumours evil spirits and curse.