18-year-old house help critical after falling off third floor flat; cops probing theft accusation

Police said the family’s claims of her allegedly stealing money are being verified and the fall is being probed from all angles

An 18-year-old woman allegedly jumped from the third floor of an apartment building in east Delhi’s Madhu Vihar on Wednesday evening, critically injuring herself. Police said the woman is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital and they are probing the circumstances that led to the fall.

People from the locality she lived in have raised suspicion of sexual assault and that she was pushed from the balcony or she may have jumped while trying to save herself from the physical assault. (Representational image)

Police said a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Madhu Vihar police station.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (east) Vinit Kumar said their control room received a call from Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital at 5.26pm Wednesday about the admission of a woman who had fallen from a building. When officers reached the hospital, they learned she was employed as domestic help at a flat in Vardhan Apartments. The flat’s owner, Ashok Karnani, runs a hardware store in Sadar Bazar.

Statements from the family members revealed that Karnani was at work at the time, while four women from his family were at home. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the woman had been working as domestic help in the flat for the past one year. On the day of the incident, she was allegedly caught by the owner’s wife stealing an amount of ₹3,000. On being confronted, the help went back to the kitchen and allegedly jumped out of a small window located therein,” Kumar said.

A senior officer familiar with the case said that around 5pm, the owner’s 19-year-old daughter noticed ₹3,000 missing from her wallet. “There was no one else in the house except the help and family members. Therefore, they asked her. Initially, she denied having taken the money but later she allegedly admitted to taking the money. The family claimed that they threatened her that they will inform her maternal uncle and aunt with whom she lived. Embarrassed, she went to the kitchen and jumped,” the officer said.

The family rushed her to LBS Hospital, from where she was referred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. She remains in the intensive care unit.

The crime team examined the spot, and statements from the Karnani family were recorded. Kumar said the family’s claims are being verified and the fall is being probed from all angles. “The woman used to work in the house for 12 hours and leave late evening. She lives with her maternal uncle and aunt. People from the locality she lived in have raised suspicion of sexual assault and that she was pushed from the balcony or she may have jumped while trying to save herself from the physical assault. We are investigating the case from all angles,” the officer said.

On Thursday, residents from her colony staged a four-hour protest inside the society, beginning at noon, demanding action in the case.