Police to probe if 'negligence' by mall led to Delhi boy's death

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) Police will look into safety norms and maintenance work at a mall in northwest Delhi where a 16-year-old boy died allegedly from a fall and examine if there was any negligence on the part of the mall owners, officials said on Tuesday.

Kabin, a Class 11 student, allegedly fell on Sunday when he stepped on the plastic shed installed as a cover for the gallery space between adjacent shops to film a reel. He was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead.

Police said they will examine the role of the owners and management of the mall to determine whether there was any negligence, including in the installation and maintenance of the plastic shed, unrestricted access to the rooftop area and whether safety norms were being followed.

According to police, Kabin had gone to the mall around 5 pm with three classmates.

A case has been registered under section 106 (1) (Causing death by negligence) against unknown persons in the matter. They have also talked to his friends who were with Kabin.

"Preliminary inquiry revealed that the group reached the top of the building using the staircase. The boy climbed onto a plastic shed installed as a cover for the gallery space between adjacent shops. The shed collapsed under his weight, causing him to fall onto the ground below," a senior police officer said.

His friends told police that they were filming a reel of his when he was on top of the building when he fell down, they said.

A crime team and forensic experts inspected the spot to ascertain the exact sequence of events, police said.

Kabin’s father, Rahul Kumar, while speaking to PTI, however, questioned the police version and said the circumstances surrounding the death of his son were suspicious.

Kumar alleged that friends of his son were nowhere to be seen after the incident and that it was hospital staff who took the boy for treatment. Police said further investigation is underway. PTI SSJ SSJ SKY SKY