A Class XI student died after falling from the terrace of a 10-floor residential building on Matheswartala Road in Kolkata on Friday evening, with police investigating whether a plywood sheet covering a drainpipe contributed to the fall.
The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Pragati Maidan police station. Police identified the teenager as Farhan Alam, a student of a Kidderpore school. Investigators said Alam was on the terrace with a friend when he fell. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
A preliminary police investigation suggested that Alam may have slipped while standing on the parapet. An officer said the student appeared to have been standing on a false-ceiling-like structure above the terrace parapet when he lost his balance. The officer added that the exact circumstances leading to the fall had not yet been established.
The possible role of the plywood sheet remains under investigation. Police are examining whether the sheet broke or whether another factor caused the teenager to fall. The account has not been treated as a confirmed reconstruction of the incident, and investigators are examining CCTV footage from cameras installed on the terrace.
According to the report, Alam’s friend rushed downstairs after the incident to inform the family. The teenager is survived by his parents and a sister. The death has brought attention to the safety of structures and coverings placed around terrace-level drainpipes, although police have not announced any finding of negligence or responsibility.
No formal complaint had been lodged with the police by Saturday evening, according to the report. Investigators are continuing to reconstruct the sequence of events using the terrace CCTV footage and other available information.
