It was Saturday night. A class 10 student had gone out to a pub with some of his school friends. After a party at a brewery in Bengaluru, the boy returned home around 9 pm and then jumped to death from the balcony. The cops are investigating the possible reasons that might have pushed the teenager to take this step.
CCTV footage shows the boy, a resident of an apartment located on Dr Vishnuvardhan Road in a Bengaluru suburb, returning home along with his friends, who dropped him off at the entrance.
The boy entered the apartment premises and took the elevator alone to the seventh floor. Instead of entering his house, the boy is suspected to have gone to the balcony, from where he may have jumped, the police said.
Investigators noted that the possibility of an accidental fall appears to be low, as the balcony railings are relatively high.
The boy died at around 9.40 pm.
During the investigation, the police found that the minor had allegedly consumed alcohol and smoked along with his friends earlier in the evening at a pub called the Legacy Brewing Company.
Based on this, a case has been registered against the pub owners and staff for allegedly serving alcohol to minors.
The pub management, however, has refuted all allegations, claiming they did not serve alcohol to the minor. According to their statement, the boy allegedly brought alcohol with him when he arrived at the establishment.
Police are examining CCTV footage from the pub to ascertain the exact sequence of events and verify the claims made by the management.
Police have initiated proceedings to cancel the pub's licence, pending the outcome of the investigation.
"The exact circumstances under which the boy fell are still being ascertained. At this stage, all angles, including suicide, are being investigated," a senior police officer said.
The police are now probing the possible reasons that may have led the minor to take the extreme step. They are examining if the boy was afraid of facing his family after consuming alcohol, or if academic stress or any personal issues might have played a role.
Further investigation is in progress, and police said more clarity is expected after a detailed analysis of all CCTV footage and statements from the boy's friends and family.
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