The elevator of a building in Pune, Maharashtra has a free fall and lands into a duct pit on Thursday right after a woman and an 11-year-old boy step out of it.
A woman and a minor boy had a narrow escape when an elevator fell into the duct pit from the 10th floor of a building in Pune right after they stepped out of it. The elevator malfunction in the Bhavdhan area of Pune on Thursday was captured by the CCTV camera set up inside it revealing how the duo escaped an accident at the last moment.
The builder and his partner along with the agency who was in charge of the task of maintaining the building have been booked by the Hinjewadi police for negligence under sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The complaint was lodged by Bharat Choudhari who is a resident of the building and it was his wife and 11-year-old boy who has the narrow escape.
Reportedly, the duo aimed to go to the seventh floor of the building but the elevator did not stop there and took them to the tenth floor. After they got out of it, the elevator had a free fall into the duct pit.
According to a report by TOI, Sub-inspector Mahendra Gadhave of the Hinjewadi police said, "The residents of the building have lodged their complaint against the builder and his partner under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act provisions. The builders handed over the flats to the residents without providing the completion certificate. They have not formed the society and are responsible for the maintenance of the building and its amenities, including the elevator. Thus, we have registered the case against them."
He reportedly added, "We have summoned the builders and officials of the lift's maintenance agency. Also, we have told them to fix the elevator"
Complainant Bharat Choudhari told the media, "The 12-storied buildings have two elevator ducts. But our building has only one poorly maintained elevator."
Pune District Cooperative Housing Societies and Federation chairman Suhas Patwardhan reportedly said, "The police must probe the case after reading the contract between the builder(s) and the elevator maintenance firm"