Kolkata, March 21 A 40-year-old man died after being struck inside a lift at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital here on Friday. A post-mortem report, released by Kolkata Police around midnight, said the death was caused by multiple traumatic injuries.
The deceased, identified as Arup Bandyopadhyay, a resident of Dum Dum in the northern outskirts of the city, had gone to the hospital for treatment of his young son when the incident occurred inside an elevator of the trauma care centre building.
The hospital superintendent told reporters that Bandyopadhyay got trapped in the lift and there was no operator present at the time. The exact sequence of events leading to the incident is still under investigation, he said.
The victim's father alleged gross negligence on the part of hospital authorities and lodged a police complaint. He also met the deputy commissioner (North), who visited the spot in the afternoon.
According to the post-mortem findings, the death was due to “polytrauma” – compression of the chest wall, rupture of the heart, lungs, and liver, along with multiple fractures of the legs, hands, and ribs.
"The injuries were ante-mortem in nature, indicating that they were sustained before death," the report said.
Based on the findings, the homicide section of the Kolkata Police's Detective Department has taken over the investigation, a senior officer said.
The incident has triggered a political row, with the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accusing the administration of systemic failure. He held hospital authorities responsible and called for a change in governance.