Bandra toddler accident: Parents should have been careful, say police

The boy climbed up to the sliding glass window, which had no grill. He then lost his balance and fell down, dying on the spot due to multiple injuries.

The Bandra police, after investigating the accidental death of a 21-month-old boy, came to the conclusion that neither the owner nor the tenant of the 14th floor Bandra apartment were responsible for his death on Saturday. The parents of the child should have been more careful, the police added.

Soham had come to the apartment with his parents to visit his ailing cancer-stricken 60-year-old grandfather (HT Photo)

Around 9am on Saturday, the deceased, Soham Chanabasawa Balate, was playing in the hall of an apartment on the 14th floor of Sea Bird building in Bandstand, Bandra (west). Balate’s grandmother was offering Pooja in the hall.

The boy climbed up to the sliding glass window, which had no grill. He then lost his balance and fell down, dying on the spot due to multiple injuries. Soham had come to the apartment with his parents to visit his ailing cancer-stricken 60-year-old grandfather, Ganpati Morge. His grandfather is from Nanded, and Soham’s family is from Karnataka. The family left for Karnataka the same day with the body.

Senior police inspector, Pandit Thakare, of Bandra police station said, “No case is made out. The parents of the child should have been more careful.” However, disagreeing with Thakare, IPS turned lawyer, YP Singh told HT, “The parents or the person who was looking after the child can be booked for causing death due to negligence, under section 304 A of the Indian Penal Code.”

Rahangdale said, “It’s a matter of common sense that people should take such safety measures.” Khabale said, “It is the responsibility of the building’s society to put grills on windows.”