10-year-old girl throws 18-month-old toddler off 6th floor of Mumbai building

A 10-year-old girl is under investigation after an 18-month-old toddler fell to her death from the sixth floor of a building in Goregaon (East), Mumbai, on Wednesday evening. The incident was captured on CCTV footage, which reportedly shows the older girl pushing the younger child into an open duct, causing her to fall to the ground floor. The toddler was pronounced dead at a local hospital following the fall. The incident occurred around 9:30 pm when the toddler was playing in the common passage on the sixth floor of the SRA building with her parents and four brothers. The 10-year-old girl, who resides in a neighboring flat, was also present in the passage. According to police, she allegedly pushed the toddler into the duct, leading to her fatal fall. The toddler's mother sent her elder son to search for her after she failed to return home. The boy discovered his sister lying on the ground floor and alerted his mother, who rushed to the scene and took the child to the hospital. The police were subsequently informed, and an accidental death report (ADR) was registered. During an examination of the CCTV footage, the police allegedly found the 10-year-old girl pushing the toddler into the duct. She was later seen riding a bicycle in the passage on the same floor. A police officer alleged that the family members of the 10-year-old girl attempted to switch off the CCTV cameras to conceal the incident. The 10-year-old girl has been produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which will conduct an inquiry and determine the next steps. The CWC will assess whether the girl understood the consequences of her actions, as children under seven are exempt from prosecution under criminal law, while those aged between seven and 12 may still face legal consequences depending on the court's findings. The toddler had recently moved into the building with her family, and according to a relative, she was playing with a stray cat in the common corridor before the incident. Other residents assisted in taking the injured toddler to a doctor, where she was pronounced dead due to severe head injuries. Police are continuing to investigate the sequence of events leading up to the toddler's death and whether any adults were involved. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.