A mother, father and nine-year-old boy plunged to their deaths from a luxury high-rise in a suspected murder-suicide in south London after their terminally ill son was discharged from hospital and sent home to die, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Rakesh Pai, 47, Aditi Paralkar, 46, and their son Sid, fell 400ft to their deaths from the balcony of their 36th-floor apartment of the 45-storey Highpoint tower block in Elephant and Castle, south London, on the morning of May 27.
The high-earning couple, originally from India and with no family in the UK, both worked as consultants with Rakesh, who was known as Robin, specialising in finance while Aditi held several senior roles in the construction industry.
Friends revealed that Aditi had been suffering with depression and other mental health issues because of Sid’s condition.
The youngster, who was born in the UK, was unable to speak, was partially handicapped and also suffered from learning difficulties and a kidney disease.
He had to be homeschooled with Aditi, who was affectionately known as Adi by her friends, taking on most of the responsibility for his education.
According to some reports, the tragedy is believed to have taken place after Sid, the couple’s only child, was denied medical treatment and discharged from hospital, leaving Rakesh and Aditi devastated.
Friends revealed that the couple left the UK to live in India around six years ago to get Sid specialist medical help and to provide Aditi with more support from friends and family in Mumbai, where she was born and raised.
Aditi Paralkar, 46, died along with her partner, 47, and their son when they plunged from their 36th-floor apartment in a south London tower block
The family fell from the 36th floor apartment (circled in red) of the 45-storey Highpoint tower block in Elephant and Castle, south London
This is a balcony on the 12th floor of the block, which is identical to the one the family fell from from their apartment on the 36th floor
They are believed to have returned to the UK last year after doctors in India failed to make any improvement with Sid’s condition.
A friend said: ‘It was a huge stress for both of them but Adi in particular struggled to cope with what was going on. She had no family in the UK and also did a very demanding job, so it was very difficult for her to manage everything.
‘It took a huge toll on her mental health, and I think it may have just got too much for her. They were a wonderful family, and we are all very shocked by what’s happened.’
The exact circumstances of the deaths will be determined at an inquest, although no date has yet been set, with friends questioning the theory of any suicide pact.
One said: ‘None of this makes sense to us because while it was obvious that Adi was struggling, Robin was the composed one of the two. He was actually handling things quite well given Sid’s illness and the pressure they were all under.
‘Hopefully the inquest will get to the bottom of what happened because at the moment, none of us have got a clue.’
Both parents were educated at top universities in India before moving to London in the early 2000s, where they were prospering in their careers.
They ran their own consultancy business and lived in the high-end apartment complex where rent costs up to £3,800 a month.
A view of the courtyard where the family of three landed after plunging 400ft to their deaths
Another angle showing the 36th-floor apartment circled in red
The flats in Clapham that the family intended to convert back into a house for them to live in
Rakesh worked as a project manager for a number of banks including Barclays, Santander and Deutsche Bank.
Prior to leaving for India six years ago, the couple owned and lived in the ground floor flat of a house located on a smart, middle-class road in Clapham, south London.
They rented out the £500,000 flat while in India and after returning to the UK, purchased the flat above.
They had only been living in Highpoint tower temporarily and had plans to convert their two Clapham flats into a single home where they wanted to live after growing to love the area. Last summer, they attended the annual party of the street where it is located.
One resident said: ‘They were a lovely couple, and everybody really liked them. They had no family in the UK so having good friends was very important to them and that’s why they wanted to return to live in Clapham.
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‘We were all so happy to see them at the summer party and were all looking forward to them coming back to live here because they were a very cherished part of this community.’
Colleagues described Rakesh as a ‘people’s person’, and he volunteered with Alzheimer’s Society charity helping people with dementia and at the Thomas Pocklington Trust which supports blind people.
Aditi was a consultant in the construction industry delivering major projects including installing cladding at Heathrow. A former boss described her as ‘loyal and hardworking’ and a ‘pleasure’ to be around.
The couple and Sid were found dead in the courtyard of their luxury tower block in Elephant and Castle. Police and fire crews rushed to the scene and attempted to resuscitate the family unsuccessfully.
Some residents and building staff witnessed the family hit the floor and describe feeling ‘traumatized’. One said there is currently a sombre mood in the building.
Neil Coyle, the MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, told the Daily Mail the entire community is grieving.
He said: ‘This awful incident has made our whole community very sad. No one knows what went through the minds of the family in these tragic circumstances.
‘I urge anyone struggling to reach out for help. I also hope support is there for the local people who saw what happened that morning and are deeply affected by it and I again thank the police and others for their initial attempts to save lives.
‘Our uniformed services take on many roles but being first at this scene must have been unbearable for the officers involved.’
The luxury tower block was redeveloped by Canadian property group Realstar Living and rebranded as UNCLE Elephant and Castle in 2018. It now boasts a Sky Lounge top-floor bar, an on-site gym, a co-working space and underground parking.
It is home to 458 opulent apartments mostly rented by international students from wealthy backgrounds in East Asia and middle-class young professionals.
The UNCLE building has a 300-seat theatre leased to the Southwark Playhouse, as well as a sky lounge, with incredible views over London that ‘make the Shard jealous’.
One-bedroom studio flats in the block cost £2,700 a month while two-bedroom apartments cost £3,800 a month to rent.
Each flat includes a large living, dining and kitchen area decked out with premium Siemens appliances, Danish designer furniture and a yellow-tinted private balcony with glass barriers.
Some residents reported hearing ‘shouts and screams’ from the family’s apartment in the weeks before they fell.
One woman who lives in the building said: ‘I heard shouting and screaming for the past two weeks. It has stopped since.
‘Police knocked on the door and asked if I had heard shouting and screaming. I told them yes and I assumed it was a domestic.’
Another resident said: ‘The deaths have left a deep mark on those who call this place home, a group of neighbours who know and care for each other in a way which is unusual in Central London or any large city.’
The Metropolitan Police said the deaths were being treated as ‘unexpected’.
A spokesperson said: ‘Detectives are investigating after three people died following a fall from height on Wednesday.
‘At 7.29am officers, the London Ambulance Service, London’s Air Ambulance and the London Fire Brigade attended a high-rise block of flats on Churchyard Row, Elephant and Castle, following reports that people had fallen from height.
‘At the scene, three people – a man, a woman and a child – were found to have sadly died, despite resuscitation attempts by first responders.
‘Their deaths are currently being treated as unexpected. There were no other reported injuries. Work is underway to formally identify those who died.
‘Their next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.’
Southwark Coroners Court told the Daily Mail: ‘This matter has been referred to this office.’
