The Dindoshi police in Mumbai have registered a murder FIR against a 10-year-old girl following the death of an 18-month-old toddler in a residential building in Goregaon East. The case, which was initially recorded as an accidental death, was escalated on Sunday after the victim’s mother filed a formal complaint. The tragic incident occurred on the night of October 14, when the toddler, who had been playing with a cat in the corridor, fell from the sixth floor of the Shivshahi building.
Initial investigations were prompted by the mother’s concerns regarding the safety infrastructure on the sixth floor. She stated that the security railing, which measures approximately three-and-a-half feet in height, made it highly improbable for her daughter to have climbed over or lost her balance accidentally. The mother alleged that the child had been targeted, pointing to suspicious circumstances surrounding the timeline of the disappearance and the eventual discovery of the toddler’s body.
According to the sequence of events reported by the police, the toddler was playing outside her home between 9:00 pm and 9:30 pm. When the mother could not locate her, she tasked the toddler’s 12-year-old brother with finding her. The brother eventually discovered a figure in the building’s basement wearing clothing identical to his sister’s. Despite being rushed to a civic hospital by residents, the toddler was declared dead, leading to a post-mortem examination as part of the ongoing inquiry.
The investigation took a definitive turn after authorities reviewed CCTV footage from the premises. According to police reports, the footage appears to show the 10-year-old neighbour gesturing to the toddler and beckoning her toward the lift area. Subsequently, the minor is seen lifting the toddler and pushing her into an open duct near the stairwell. Following the fall, the older girl is captured running from the scene and later riding a bicycle in the passage, seemingly undisturbed.
The toddler’s parents had further alleged that the family of the 10-year-old had attempted to tamper with evidence by switching off surveillance cameras. These allegations regarding the concealment of the incident remain part of the broader police investigation. Sources indicate that the family of the accused minor had moved into the housing society only about a fortnight before the incident took place and have reportedly since relocated to live with relatives.
Following the emergence of the evidence, the 10-year-old girl was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB). In its initial order, the board directed that the minor undergo mandatory counselling, appointing an NGO to oversee the process. The girl was then released into the custody of her parents while the legal proceedings continue. The Dindoshi police stated that they are conducting a comprehensive review of the evidence and the statements provided by the victim's family to establish the exact sequence of events.
This incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, raising significant questions regarding child safety in residential high-rises and the oversight of common areas. As the investigation progresses, the focus remains on the findings of the Juvenile Justice Board and the statements collected by the police. For now, the FIR stands as a formal murder investigation, marking a grim escalation from the initial accidental death report filed by the local authorities just four days prior to the new registration.
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