West Bengal, 25 March (H.S.): Fresh questions have emerged over maintenance practices following the fatal lift incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a man lost his life after being trapped between the lift and a wall.

Investigators have found that the same lift had developed a fault on March 13, just days before the incident, and was reportedly repaired by engineers. However, the recurrence of the malfunction within a week has come under scrutiny, with forensic experts now examining whether the repair work was carried out properly.

The deceased, Arup Bandyopadhyay from Nagerbazar, had boarded Lift No. 2 of the trauma care building with his wife and child when the lift suddenly malfunctioned, causing a violent jerk that led to the fatal accident.

According to the probe, the lift had earlier shown signs of trouble, including erratic movement and sensor issues. Engineers had inspected the motherboard and declared it functional after repairs. On the day of the incident, however, the lift reportedly moved abnormally—going up to the seventh floor instead of the fifth and then descending to the basement, with the doors shutting abruptly.

Detectives from Lalbazar have questioned around 30 individuals, including PWD staff, lift engineers, maintenance personnel, security guards and eyewitnesses. CCTV footage from nearly 70 cameras is also being examined to reconstruct the sequence of events.

The police said further action will depend on the forensic report, as the investigation continues into possible negligence in maintenance.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey