‘Want to know what happened,’ says family amid probe after 3-year-old falls off escalator at Delhi mall

Rupali, 32, her three sisters, and their six children were all set to watch Pushpa 2 on Tuesday evening when the family outing — a break from the daily routine of selling clothes near Ghode Wala Mandir Market for Rupali — turned out to be a nightmare. The family members were on the third floor of the Pacific Mall in Tilak Nagar at PVR, buying movie tickets, when Rupali’s son, Vishal,3, put his hand on the handrail of an escalator while playing, tried to slide down but fell off, said a police official. He died on the spot.

“A case of criminal negligence has been filed, and mall authorities have been asked to provide details of security protocol, especially around escalators,” said DCP (West) Vichitra Veer.

Rupali’s brother, Ravi Kumar, 30, said, “We have been called to see the (CCTV) footage tomorrow at Tilak Nagar police station. We want to know how it happened.” He learned about the incident at 7 pm Tuesday when Rupali called her from DDU Hospital where Vishal was taken in an auto.

A clothes trader, Vishal’s father Dharmender Solanki had enrolled his son in a tuition to prepare him for school next year. “He wanted an escape from this life for his children,” said  Ravi, adding a dream has been cut short. The staff at the mall declined to comment on the issue.