Elderly woman dies after falling from multi-storeyed building in Ballygunge

Kolkata: An elderly woman died after falling down from the roof of a multi-storeyed apartment at Ballygunge on Thursday morning. The deceased, identified as Jamini Desai (64), was a resident of Earle Street who had been living in the apartment for the last five years.

The police are investigating to ascertain whether the fall was accidental or suicidal, with the local residents alleging that her family members were late in taking the lady to the hospital even after she fell from the roof.

"We were having a cup of tea in the tea stall adjacent to the apartment. Suddenly, we heard the noise of something falling on the ground. We found that the elderly woman was lying in a pool of blood. When we raised an alarm and called her family members, they came down and took her inside the house instead of rushing to the hospital. They did so after ten minutes," said local resident Budheshwar Das.

Das added that the woman was alive after falling from the roof and rushing to the hospital might have saved her.

The sexagenarian was, however, declared brought dead at a nearby hospital.

According to police sources, the victim had gone to the roof of the apartment at around 7 am in the morning for plucking flowers. She loved flowers and there were a number of flower pots with a variety of flowers blossoming on the rooftop garden, which she herself used to water.

The woman was accompanied by the domestic help of the Desai family, Prem Mondal. However, when she told him to fetch the ladder, he came downstairs. It was at that time that the woman fell down.

Police have come to know that the victim had been suffering from lung ailment for quite some time. Her family members have informed police that she was also suffering from mental depression due to her ill health.

"We are exploring all angles," an officer of Ballygunge police station said.