A father and his 11-year-old son died after falling from the 23rd floor of a flat at Mahagun Mywoods society in Greater Noida West early on Friday, with police saying the incident occurred when the child reportedly slipped while trying to pluck flowers from a balcony creeper.
The deceased were identified as 40-year-old Randeep Patra and his son, Aarav Patra, who lived in the society with Randeep’s wife. According to information provided by Bisrakh police and reported by Live Hindustan, the family had been preparing to leave for Khatu Shyam temple that morning.
The family had woken at around 4 am and was preparing for पूजा when Randeep asked Aarav to bring flowers from a creeper growing on the balcony, the report said. Police stated that it had rained and that the child placed his foot on the balcony grille while reaching for the flowers.
According to the police account cited in the report, Aarav slipped and became suspended from the grille. Randeep attempted to rescue him, but both fell from the balcony. The two were declared dead after the incident. The report did not provide details about the design or height of the balcony grille, or whether any safety equipment or building-rule violation was identified.
Police reached the society after receiving information about the fall and began an investigation. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination. The police inquiry is expected to establish the precise sequence of events and examine the circumstances inside the flat and the balcony.
The incident has also drawn attention to the safety risks associated with high-rise residential living, where balconies, grilles and other elevated spaces can become dangerous when residents attempt to reach plants or objects outside the protected area. However, the available police account does not establish that a construction or maintenance defect caused the deaths.
The fatality occurred a day after another fall in Greater Noida West. On Thursday, an 18-year-old BBA student, Aditya Arora, died after falling from the 19th floor of Pristine Avenue society in Gaur City-2, according to the same report. Police said the student had been taken to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
In that separate case, police said Aditya had been upset with his family and wanted to become an actor, while his family had enrolled him in a BBA programme. Police were also examining information from his mobile phone. The two incidents are being investigated separately, and the available report does not indicate a connection between them.
For the Mahagun Mywoods case, the immediate next steps are the post-mortem examination and completion of the police investigation into the circumstances that led to the father and son falling from the 23rd-floor balcony.
