Delhi Teen Falls to Death During Reel Recording at Abandoned Mall, Family Alleges Lapses

New Delhi

oi-Ashish Rana

A
16-year-old
schoolboy
died
after
falling
more
than
60
feet
through
a
skylight
inside
a
long-shuttered
shopping
mall
in
Delhi’s
Model
Town
on
Sunday
evening,
triggering
an
investigation
amid
allegations
of
foul
play
by
the
family.

The
teenager,
identified
as
Kavin
Kumar,
was
a
Class
11
student
at
a
private
school
in
Ashok
Vihar.
Police
said
he
had
gone
to
the
abandoned
North
Gate
mall
with
three
classmates
to
spend
time
and
record
videos
for
social
media.
The
mall
has
remained
closed
since
2012.

What
police
say
happened

According
to
investigators,
the
group
accessed
the
four-storey
building
and
reached
the
top
floor
using
the
staircase.
A
senior
police
officer
familiar
with
the
inquiry
said
Kavin
climbed
onto
a
fibreglass
shed
that
had
been
installed
as
a
gallery
cover
between
shops.

“The
shed
could
not
bear
his
weight
and
collapsed,
causing
him
to
fall
to
the
ground
floor,” the
officer
said.
Kavin
suffered
critical
injuries
and
was
rushed
to
Pentamed
Hospital,
where
doctors
declared
him
dead
on
arrival.

The
incident
was
reported
to
Model
Town
police
station
at
5.51
pm.
Preliminary
findings
suggest
the
teenagers
were
filming
short
videos
intended
for
social
media
reels.
Police
have
examined
videos
recorded
moments
before
the
fall,
which
were
shown
by
the
classmates
present
at
the
site.

Family
raises
questions,
alleges
foul
play

Kavin’s
family
has
questioned
the
circumstances
surrounding
the
incident
and
the
conduct
of
his
friends.
His
paternal
uncle,
Sudhir
Kumar,
said
the
boy
left
home
around
5.30
pm
after
telling
his
mother
he
was
going
nearby
to
play
billiards.

“About
half
an
hour
later,
his
mother
received
a
call
from
his
friend’s
mother.
That
friend
was
not
even
with
Kavin
at
the
time,”
Sudhir
said.
He
added
that
the
family
was
disturbed
by
the
fact
that
those
present
at
the
scene
did
not
immediately
inform
them.

“The
first
thing
they
should
have
done
was
to
call
the
family,
but
they
did
not.
Information
was
circulating
in
school
groups
around
the
same
time
we
heard
from
the
hospital,”
he
said.

Another
uncle,
Munit
Kumar,
suggested
the
possibility
that
Kavin
may
have
been
pushed
into
a
risky
act.
“We
suspect
the
classmates
may
have
dared
him,
which
is
why
he
tried
to
walk
on
the
shed,”
he
said.

The
family
has
also
questioned
how
minors
were
able
to
enter
a
commercial
complex
that
has
been
shut
for
over
a
decade.
“If
the
mall
has
been
closed
since
2012,
how
did
children
manage
to
get
inside?
The
management
should
have
ensured
that
entry
points
were
sealed,”
Munit
said.

Probe
underway,
inquest
initiated

Police
said
they
are
examining
the
statements
of
all
classmates
present
and
are
assessing
the
family’s
allegations.
Inquest
proceedings
have
been
initiated
to
establish
the
sequence
of
events
and
determine
whether
negligence
or
external
factors
played
a
role.

Kavin
is
survived
by
his
father
Rahul,
who
runs
an
export
business,
his
mother
Parul,
a
homemaker,
and
an
elder
sister
who
is
studying
in
Canada.
Relatives
described
him
as
a
bright
and
disciplined
student
who
was
highly
conscious
about
fitness.
He
had
set
up
a
small
gym
at
home
and
worked
out
daily
for
nearly
two
hours.

A
cousin
recalled
that
Kavin
had
been
eagerly
planning
a
family
dinner
on
Sunday
and
was
looking
forward
to
his
sister’s
return
from
Canada
on
December
31.

“He
was
such
a
smart
boy.
I
have
no
idea
how
this
happened.
He
was
very
excited
about
the
dinner
he
was
organising
with
his
mother
and
was
counting
the
days
until
his
sister
came
back,”
the
cousin
said.

Police
said
the
investigation
is
ongoing
and
further
action
will
be
taken
based
on
forensic
findings
and
witness
statements.