A father and his 11-year-old son died after falling from the balcony of their 23rd-floor apartment at Mahagun Mywoods society in Greater Noida West early on Friday, while police began examining CCTV footage and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The deceased were identified as 40-year-old Randeep Patra and his son Aarav. According to Navbharat Times’ report, the incident took place at about 4.20 am when the family was preparing to travel to Khatu Shyam for temple prayers and a land-registration-related visit.
The report said Randeep and Aarav were collecting flowers from plants in the balcony. Aarav was reportedly standing on a small ladder to reach flowers that had spread upwards along the balcony grill. His mother, Amrita Srimani, told police that the boy lost his footing and fell towards the outside of the balcony. He is believed to have held the railing briefly before Randeep moved to rescue him and also fell.
Both father and son died at the spot after landing on the roof of the society’s clubhouse, according to the report. Police took the bodies for post-mortem examination, after which the last rites were completed later in the day.
Residents told the newspaper that they heard two loud sounds and, after looking outside, saw an adult and a child on the clubhouse roof. Information was then circulated through the society’s WhatsApp group, bringing residents to the area below the building.
The deaths have also left the family in acute distress. The report said Amrita later attempted to jump from the same balcony but was stopped and calmed by residents nearby. Relatives and police were reported to be staying with her. The account also said she was repeatedly losing consciousness and calling for her husband and son after regaining awareness.
Randeep and Amrita were both section officers at the Central Secretariat in Delhi. Their family originally came from West Bengal and had purchased the Greater Noida West flat in 2022, according to the report.
Police are examining the incident from multiple angles. CCTV cameras installed in the society are being checked, although police said no video showing the fall had been found so far. The account of the accident is based on the family’s statement and information from residents, while the investigation into the exact sequence of events remains underway.
The incident has brought attention to the risks associated with balcony access, ladders and plant growth around high-rise apartment railings, although investigators have not yet announced any finding on whether a safety defect contributed to the deaths. Police are expected to continue reviewing CCTV footage and other available evidence as part of the inquiry.
