When businessman Suresh Manchanda took his family for lunch on Sunday to Mamagoto, a popular restaurant in tony Khan Market, he had hoped to spend some quality time together.
But what followed was a nightmare from which he is yet to recover.
On the first floor of the restaurant, Mr Manchanda’s family was seated on the table next to the window. His two-and-a-half year old son, while playing with the cutlery and having food, stood up on the chair and perhaps unknowingly pushed the window.
Before anyone could react, the child fell out of the window and landed on the pavement on the ground floor.
12-foot fall
The boy, who fell down 12 feet, suffered multiple fractures in his left leg and severe injuries on the face and other parts. He is undergoing treatment at the Max Hospital in Saket.
“He fell face down on the concrete pavement from the first floor of the restaurant,” Mr Manchanda said.
The 35-year-old resident of Civil Lines in north Delhi blamed the restaurant for the accident and alleged that “the window was shut but not locked. Before we could move and do anything, he slipped.”
But the restaurant dismissed the charge and claimed that the window was locked.
“The window was locked. There is no negligence on our part,” said a representative of Mamagoto, which is known for Asian, Thai and Chinese cuisine.
The two-storeyed restaurant in the middle lane of Khan Market has two big windows overlooking the parking lot on the backside of the market.
The Manchandas have lodged an FIR against the restaurant at the Tughlak Road police station. “It could have happened with anyone. The staff at the restaurant gave us the table seeing that there were kids with us,” Mr Manchanda said.
Officials at the Tughlak Road police station said they were investigating the case. “We asked for all CCTV footage of the restaurant. But none of the footage shows the area where the family was seated,” said a police official handling the case.
Safety concerns raised again
The incident has prompted the Khan Market Traders’ Association to hold a meeting soon and devise a safety plan for all restaurants.
“We will ask restaurants to repair grills, keep windows locked and if possible, not allow people with kids on the terrace. But parents should also keep an eye on their kids,” said Sanjiv Mehra, the president of the association.
Rents in Khan Market are the highest in the country and rank 24th globally. But the market also lacks safety measures. With the redevelopment plan of the market in limbo for almost three years now as the matter is pending in the court, safety here remains a concern. Also, many restaurants here do not have an NOC from the fire department.
