Delhi: Teen falls from restaurant shed inside Model Town mall, dies; family alleges foul play

NEW DELHI: A 16-year-old boy, Kabin Kumar, died after allegedly falling from a plastic shed of a restaurant inside a multi-storey mall in northwest Delhi's Model Town on Sunday, police said. Police said Kabin, who is a class XI student and resident of Gujranwala Town, had gone to the mall with three of his classmates. Police said a PCR call was received at 5.51 pm reporting a boy had fallen from a restaurant's rooftop. Preliminary inquiry revealed that Kabin and his friends reached the rooftop using the stairs. He allegedly climbed onto a plastic-fibre sheet meant for the gallery area of the four-storey mall complex, which gave way under his weight, causing him to fall 40–50 feet. Police further said while the other boys stepped back after sensing danger, Kabin moved ahead and stepped onto the sheet between the shops, leading to his fall. He suffered critical injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he later died. Kabin's family has questioned the circumstances of the fall, alleging possible foul play. Relatives said he had left home with Rs 100, telling his mother he was going to play billiards at the mall. "We got the news within half an hour," a family member said. The family alleged that the behaviour of the other boys after the incident was suspicious. "They did not inform us or rush him to the hospital. It was the restaurant staff who took our child for treatment," the relative claimed. They also questioned how Kabin accessed the dangerous spot, asking, "There is no proper access. Why was the route not blocked?" Relatives also claimed that Kabin had a quarrel with someone 8–10 days ago. They also mentioned being shown a video reel allegedly made by the boys, though its connection to the incident was unclear. The family described him as a cheerful teen. "He had organised a party. Today his sister was coming from Canada," a relative said. The family also raised concerns about alleged safety lapses at the mall. Police said CCTV footage has been sought to reconstruct the sequence of events.