Noida lift tragedy: Paras Tierea AOA president arrested for death by negligence

Paras Tierea Apartment Owners’ Association president Col Ramesh Gautam was brought before a magistrate and granted bail on Tuesday

The president of the Paras Tierea Apartment Owners’ Association was arrested on Tuesday by the Gautam Budh Nagar police for negligence in the death of a 73-year-old woman in the society last week due to an elevator malfunction, police officers aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

On August 3, Sushila Devi, 73, a resident of Paras Tierea, took the lift in Tower 24 to go from her residence on the eighth floor to the second floor when the elevator allegedly malfunctioned and plummeted to the ground, killing the woman. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

On August 3, Sushila Devi, 73, a resident of Paras Tierea society, took the lift in Tower 24 to go from her residence on the eighth floor to the second floor when the elevator allegedly malfunctioned and plummeted to the ground, killing the woman, according to a complaint filed by the woman’s son Devesh Kumar.

Based on Kumar’s complaint, a first information report was registered at the Sector 142 police station under sections 304A (death due to negligence) and 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery).

“The FIR was registered against three maintenance agency officials, four AOA members, and the lift manufacturing company,” said Rajeev Dixit, additional deputy commissioner of police, Central Noida.

Col Ramesh Gautam, president of the AOA, was one of eight people booked by police in connection with the incident. This is the first arrest made in the case since the incident took place. According to the police, Gautam was not arrested earlier because he was hospitalised for medical treatment.

“Gautam’s health had deteriorated in the wake of the incident. He was then admitted to a private hospital for treatment, and we did not arrest him. On Tuesday evening, after he was discharged from the hospital, we took him into custody and arrested him,” said Vineet Rana, station house officer of the Sector 142 police station.

Gautam was brought before a magistrate and granted bail on Tuesday, he added. “The society’s AOA president was arrested based on the evidence presented. Further investigation is underway,” said Rana.

Gautam said that he is pursuing legal action in the matter. “The AOA is being made a scapegoat in this accident, but we will fight the case with full legal recourse,” said Gautam.