Man throws 3-year-old from balcony, then jumps with rest of his family; all 4 in hospital
East Delhi fire
New Delhi, Nov 14: A man threw his three-year-old child from the second-floor balcony of a building where a fire broke out in Shakarpur area of Laxmi Nagar early morning here on Tuesday before jumping with his elder son and wife.
All four family members are currently undergoing treatment, three of them in ICU.
Kamal Tiwari (40), a resident of the five-storey building in east Delhi, wrapped his three-year-old child in a blanket and threw him from the balcony to save him from the fire that had already engulfed the entrance of his house.
Immediately after, he jumped with his 12-year-old son and wife Priyanka (36) to escape the blaze.
"The family was sleeping when they smelt smoke coming from the entrance of the flat. By the time they realised that the building had caught fire, it was too late. The entrance was completely engulfed in fire so they couldn't escape," Sanjay Garg, a relative, said.
"They had no choice but to jump," he said.
Garg said that they got to know that the fire started from the ground floor which later spread to the other floors.
"Priyanka took water from the washroom and poured it on the rest of them in the house. She also poured it around in the room to prevent the fire from spreading. She did this for half an hour," he said.
Later, their elder son suggested that they should jump from the balcony rather than die in the fire, Garg said.
"Kamal was the last person among the four who jumped from the second-floor flat," he added.
"The family was initially taken to RML Hospital but since the condition of the father and the kids was not well, we had to bring them to a private hospital," he said.
The father and both kids were admitted to Kailash Deepak Hospital in Karkardooma as their condition was said to be critical. All three of them have been admitted to the ICU, and the condition of the three-year-old child is critical, relatives said.
The father has got multiple fractures while the younger kid is suffering from internal bleeding and is yet to gain consciousness, a relative said.
Garg said Priyanka has received major injuries and is currently admitted at RML hospital.
Kamal has a coaching institute in Laxmi Nagar and gives coaching to BCA and MCA students, he said. Priyanka is a homemaker who also offers coaching to students, he added.
The fire broke out in the building at around 1 am after a short circuit in the parking area, according to the police. A 40-year-old woman died in the fire, while 25 people were rescued by the Delhi Fire Service.
Several other families had to jump from their balcony to save their lives and others escaped from the terrace by jumping in the adjacent building.
At least two other residents of the first floor suffered fractures after jumping from their balconies, locals said.
"My daughter had to jump from the first floor when the fire erupted. Her limbs are fractured," said Suprabha Devi, the victim's mother.
Another resident of the first floor, Naresh Nagar, whose flat was completely burnt in the fire, also has a fracture in his leg. He too had to jump from the balcony to escape the fire.
Police said five people had jumped from their balconies to escape the blaze.
A complaint was made to the discom to cut the electricity in the area they did not respond on time, locals alleged.
This is the second incident of a short circuit in the building, they said. Last year around Diwali, a short circuit in the same building was reported, they said.
Residents of nearby buildings said that they fear that the electricity poles in the vicinity with some open wires can cause the mishap again.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
