77-year-old man dies after falling into lift shaft, body found after 10 days
A 77-year-old man in a housing society in Bhopal, India, died falling into an empty lift shaft, where his body lay undiscovered for nearly 10 days.
The incident took place on 6 Jan at Chinar Dream City Society in the Misrod area, when the victim, identified as Pritam Giri, left his home in the afternoon but never returned.
His family filed a missing person report the following day, prompting a joint search by the police and them that lasted over a week.
Body found only after stench alerted residents
Meanwhile, residents in the housing society complained of a strong stench in the lift area. Their complaints prompted building management to call in a technician to check on 16 Jan.
The technician eventually discovered the body at the bottom of the lift shaft.
Source: NTV
Police said the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, consistent with being there for 10 to 11 days.
Authorities recovered the body and sent it to the hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Fell into lift shaft after elevator malfunction
According to Hindustan Times, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Gautam Solanki said the man was waiting for the lift when the doors opened.
Source: NEWS9 on YouTube
“The moment it opened, the man entered without noticing that the platform of the lift car was missing, and he fell down the shaft and died,” he said.
Police believe the lift was not in use at the time, and the platform was missing when the doors opened.
Authorities are questioning the housing society’s maintenance team and other individuals responsible for the building’s upkeep after registering a case.
Family and residents blame negligence
The victim’s family and residents accused the society management and maintenance team of negligence.
They claim the lift had been malfunctioning for a long time and that management repeatedly ignored complaints.
“My father left for Mandideep on 6 Jan and went missing. The elevator also broke down that same day. We reported it to the police and informed the society’s maintenance team, but no one took it seriously,” said the victim’s son, Dharmendra Giri.
Source: NEWS9 on YouTube
He added that a timely search could have saved his father’s life.
Mr Dharmendra also alleged that the building management had left the third-floor CCTV cameras out of order for years and ignored repeated warnings about the lift’s poor condition.
Neighbour Ratnesh Vishwakarma said authorities inspected the lift shaft only after the smell became unbearable.
“The elevator constantly breaks down, and no one posts any notice. This is a sad case of negligence,” he said.
Police investigation ongoing
Police said they will take further action after receiving the post-mortem report and completing ongoing investigations.
The case has raised concerns among residents. They now question safety standards and accountability in gated housing societies where management regularly collects maintenance fees but allegedly neglects basic safety measures.
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Featured image adapted from NEWS9 on YouTube and NTV.
