Drunk woman dies after fall from 20th floor balcony

Primary investigation by Kapurbawdi police have revealed that the deceased Kadambari Talreja was having a drink at the time. She lost her balance and fell off the balcony, which had no safety grille

Thane A 42-year-old woman fell to her death from the balcony of her 20th floor flat, in the plush Lodha Luxuria Complex, in Majiwada, Thane, at 10:30pm on Friday. The deceased’s husband and maid were home when the incident took place.

The couple’s marital relationship was strained and the two were often known to fight over Sandeep’s drinking problem, according to sources (HT File)

Primary investigation by Kapurbawdi police have revealed that the deceased Kadambari Talreja was having a drink at the time. She lost her balance and fell off the balcony, which had no safety grille.

The deceased’s husband Sandeep Talreja, 45, owns a popular pub – Roadhouse Restobar, in Boulevard Mall -- Majiwada. The couple’s marital relationship was strained and the two were often known to fight over Sandeep’s drinking problem, according to sources. Their 17-year-old son left for the US to pursue higher studies last week.

The couple performed the one-and-a-half-day Ganesh puja at their house and immersed the idol on Thursday, following which they visited other friends and pandals on Friday. After returning home, they quarreled while at dinner and subsequently started drinking.

According to police sources, Kadambari asked Sandeep to profess his love for her, till she counted to 10. The husband, preoccupied with his drink, did not realise that she had moved to the balcony by then.

A senior officer from Kapurbawdi police station said, “We received a call on Friday night from a resident, who claimed she had jumped off her balcony. We visited the spot, took the body for postmortem. Initial investigation through the housing society’s CCTV footage revealed that she lost her balance from the open balcony of the flat. She was drunk at the time, as was her husband. We have recorded her maid’s statement too. So far, we have registered an accidental death report in the matter.”

The incident has shaken up the residents of the society. The Talrejas are from Jaipur and had settled in Thane a few years ago, as they were involved in different businesses in the suburb and nearby areas.

A friend remembered Kadambari as a warm-hearted person. “She had recently started taking an interest in business. But due to differences with her husband remained unhappy, and turned to work to keep herself busy,” she said.

Amol Mathur, 45, a friend of the couple who had known them since college, said they the Talrejas were self-made and set up their businesses from scratch. Kadambari was known for her culinary skills and even trained in Bangkok for a few months.

Sandeep had set up small food outlets initially to showcase his wife’s skills. The club in Majiwada was their recent venture.

The couple’s frequent fights over Sandeep’s drinking habit were known to all, according to their friends.

The friends who attended her funeral claimed Sandeep’s drinking enraged Kadambari on Friday. Another friend, who did not wish to be named, said, “She tried to stop him but he did not relent and so she joined him on Friday night, demanding that he quit drinking or she would jump off. Sandeep, who was already inebriated, did not take her seriously and failed to notice that she had reached the balcony. He claimed that she lost her balance and slipped off the balcony.”