Kolkata: A forensic team visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Saturday and collected samples from the elevator that malfunctioned, killing a man on March 20.
The forensic team is trying to ascertain why the elevator in the Trauma Care building at RG Kar spiralled out of control and what exactly caused the mechanical failure. The team is also attempting to determine whether the elevator malfunctioned as a result of multiple buttons being pressed simultaneously.
Arup Banerjee, a resident of Dum Dum, tragically lost his life after becoming trapped in an elevator at the hospital. He had visited the hospital to seek medical treatment for his three-year-old child. In the early hours of Friday morning, he became stuck in the elevator within the Trauma Care unit. His wife and child were also with him at the time.
It is alleged that the elevator spiralled out of control; after ascending briefly, it plummeted to the basement level. The doors opened once at the basement, allowing Arup’s wife and child to step out. However, before Arup could exit, the doors slammed shut and the elevator began to ascend again.
In the ensuing moments, Arup became trapped in the elevator doors and sustained severe injuries. Outside the elevator at the basement level stood a locked iron-grilled gate. The family alleges that Arup’s life could have been saved had the lock been opened in time. Yet, despite the desperate screams of his wife and child, no one came forward to offer assistance, and the lock could not be broken open.
A liftman is supposed to be stationed in front of elevators at a government hospital. Questions have been raised as to why no one was present at that particular lift. On Friday itself, Tala Police arrested three liftmen — Milan Kumar Das, Biswanath Das, and Manas Kumar Guha — along with security guards Ashraful Rahman and Shubhadip Das in connection with the incident.
On Saturday, forensic officials collected samples from the elevator in question. Investigators are examining which floor Arup and his family boarded the lift from, which buttons were pressed, and where the elevator ultimately took them. Another question being raised is whether the elevator had pre-existing mechanical faults and, if so, why it was not taken out of service.
The forensic team also collected samples from the location where Arup’s body was recovered, as well as from the basement area. Investigators are trying to determine whether there was a lack of maintenance of the elevator and exactly where the operational failure occurred. Detectives from Kolkata Police are overseeing the matter, with the Homicide Department taking over the investigation from Tala Police Station. The preliminary post-mortem report indicates that Arup’s arms, legs, and ribs were fractured, while his heart, lungs, and liver ruptured due to the impact of the trauma.
The deceased’s family alleged that they spent between one-and-a-half to two hours pleading to have the iron grille door — located on the exterior of the elevator shaft in the basement — opened. The deceased’s sister alleged that, despite their pleas, no one stepped forward to break the lock. Instead, a search for the key was initiated, which was reportedly in the custody of the Public Works Department (PWD). The family contends that had the lock been broken immediately, Arup might have been saved.
A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered, and the investigation is underway. Authorities at RG Kar Hospital have also held several meetings on the matter and are preparing to submit a detailed report to Swasthya Bhawan, the state Health Department headquarters.
(IANS)
