Kolkata, March 21 (NationPress) A forensic team arrived at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Saturday to gather evidence from the elevator that tragically malfunctioned, resulting in the death of a man on March 20.

The forensic experts are investigating the cause of the elevator's uncontrollable behavior in the Trauma Care building and are examining whether the incident was triggered by multiple buttons being pressed at once.

Arup Banerjee, a resident of Dum Dum, sadly lost his life after becoming trapped in the elevator while seeking medical care for his three-year-old child. On Friday morning, he found himself stuck in the elevator within the Trauma Care unit, alongside his wife and child.

Witnesses claim the elevator jerked upwards briefly before plummeting to the basement. The doors opened momentarily at the basement level, allowing Arup’s wife and child to exit. However, as Arup attempted to follow, the doors closed abruptly and the elevator began to rise again.

In the chaos, Arup was caught in the elevator doors, sustaining serious injuries. A locked iron-grilled gate stood outside the elevator at the basement level. The family contends that Arup could have survived if the gate had been opened promptly. Despite their frantic calls for help, no assistance arrived, and the lock remained unbroken.

Typically, a lift attendant is stationed by elevators at government hospitals. Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of personnel at this particular lift. On the same day, the Tala Police detained three liftmen -- Milan Kumar Das, Biswanath Das, and Manas Kumar Guha -- along with security personnel Ashraful Rahman and Shubhadip Das in relation to the incident.

On Saturday, forensic officials collected samples from the malfunctioning elevator. Investigators are probing which floor Arup and his family boarded the lift, the buttons pressed, and the ultimate destination of the elevator. A key question is whether the elevator had any pre-existing mechanical issues and why it was not taken out of service sooner.

The forensic team also gathered samples from where Arup’s body was discovered, as well as from the basement area. Investigators are assessing any maintenance shortfalls concerning the elevator and pinpointing where the operational failure occurred. The Kolkata Police are managing the inquiry, with the Homicide Department now leading the investigation after taking over from Tala Police Station. Preliminary post-mortem findings reveal that Arup suffered fractures to his arms, legs, and ribs, with damage to his heart, lungs, and liver stemming from the trauma.

According to the deceased’s family, they spent nearly one-and-a-half to two hours pleading for the iron grille door -- located outside the elevator shaft in the basement -- to be opened. The deceased’s sister claimed that their cries went unanswered as a search for the key, reportedly held by the Public Works Department (PWD), commenced. The family believes that if the lock had been broken immediately, Arup could have been saved.

A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been filed, and the investigation is progressing. Authorities at RG Kar Hospital have conducted multiple meetings regarding the incident and are preparing to submit a detailed report to Swasthya Bhawan, the Health Department headquarters.