Class 10 boy, ‘drunk’, dies after falling from 7th floor balcony in Bengaluru

A 15-year-old student in Bengaluru died after falling from the 7th floor of his apartment on Saturday, prompting cops to probe the possibility of a suicide.

A tragic incident unfolded on Saturday night in Bengaluru, where a 15-year-old Class 10 student died after falling from the balcony of his apartment building. The teenager had earlier stepped out with a group of schoolmates to a brewery and returned home shortly after.

During preliminary inquiry, officers found that the minor had allegedly consumed alcohol and smoked earlier in the evening at a pub.

According to police officials, the boy reached his residence on Dr Vishnuvardhan Road around 9 pm, reported NDTV. CCTV visuals showed his friends accompanying him to the apartment gate before leaving. The teenager then entered the building alone and took the lift to the seventh floor.

Investigators believe that instead of going into his flat, the boy went to the balcony area, from where he is suspected to have jumped. The police have largely ruled out the possibility of an accidental fall, citing the height of the balcony railings. He was declared dead around 9:40 pm, the report stated.

During the preliminary inquiry, officers found that the minor had allegedly consumed alcohol and smoked earlier in the evening at a pub named Legacy Brewing Company. Based on these findings, a case has been filed against the establishment’s owners and staff for allegedly serving alcohol to an underage customer.

The pub management has denied the allegations, stating that no alcohol was served to the boy. They have claimed that the minor may have brought alcohol with him when he arrived at the venue.

Police are now scrutinising CCTV footage from inside the pub to reconstruct the sequence of events and verify the competing claims. Proceedings have also been initiated to suspend or cancel the pub’s licence, depending on the outcome of the probe, the report said.

A senior police officer said the exact circumstances surrounding the fall are still unclear and that all possibilities, including suicide, are being thoroughly examined. Investigators are exploring whether fear of facing his family, academic pressure, or other personal concerns could have influenced the teenager’s actions.

Further investigation is underway, with police recording statements from the boy’s friends and family and reviewing all available surveillance footage to gain clearer insights into the incident.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).