Man dies after being trapped in elevator at R G Kar Hospital; 5 arrested
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Kolkata: Police have detained five individuals in connection with the death of a man who allegedly became trapped inside an elevator at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on March 20, a senior police officer said on Saturday.
The action followed a complaint filed by the victim’s father, Amal Banerjee, on March 20. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered invoking sections related to culpable homicide. The five detained, police said, were involved in the maintenance of the elevator in the trauma care building where the incident occurred. Their identities have not been disclosed.
According to the victim’s family, Arup Banerjee, in his early 40s, got stuck in the elevator when it malfunctioned. They alleged that the lift was under maintenance, had no operator on duty, and was not properly secured. A senior hospital official said the man was rescued with injuries, including bleeding from the nose, and taken to the emergency unit, where he later succumbed.
Post-mortem findings, shared by Kolkata Police late on Friday, indicated that the death was caused by “polytrauma,” including compression of the chest wall, rupture of the heart, lungs, and liver, and multiple fractures of the legs, hands, and ribs. The injuries were ante-mortem, suggesting they occurred before death, police added.
The homicide section of the Detective Department has taken over the investigation. Meanwhile, a state forensic team visited the trauma care building and collected samples from the elevator, its collapsible gate, the ground floor, and the elevator shaft wall. Kolkata Police also inspected the duty roster of non-medical staff and maintenance personnel to determine who was on shift and conducted interviews with employees and officials. Neither the forensic team nor the police spoke to media.
The incident occurred while the victim had brought his four-year-old son for treatment. His wife was reportedly present in the trauma care unit at the time.
Hospital Medical Superintendent Saptarshi Chattopadhyay said a complaint lodged by the victim’s father with hospital authorities had been forwarded to the Tala police station. Atin Ghosh, chairman of the hospital’s Patient Welfare Committee and deputy mayor of Kolkata, acknowledged possible lapses that led to the “unfortunate incident” and said action would be taken according to the law.
R G Kar Hospital had previously been in the national spotlight following the rape and murder of a woman doctor on its premises in August 2024, as well as investigations into alleged financial irregularities. Former principal Sandip Ghosh was later arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with these alleged irregularities and remains in jail.
Political reactions were swift. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari described the death as “murder” and held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also heads the Health department, Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, and hospital authorities responsible. The BJP criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress, alleging systemic corruption and negligence in the state’s healthcare infrastructure.
With PTI inputs