Bhopal Man, 77, Falls Into Shaft, Lift Operates Over His Body For 10 Days

A horrifying tale of neglect has emerged from Chinar Dream City, a posh residential colony on Hoshangabad Road in Bhopal, where a 77-year-old man lay dead inside an elevator shaft for nearly ten days while the lift above his body continued to run, silently crushing him repeatedly.

The tragedy came to light only when a strong, unbearable stench began spreading through the building, forcing residents and the society management to investigate what lay beneath the polished floors and glass doors of the high-rise.

The man has been identified as Pritam Giri Goswami (77), who lived with his son, Manoj Giri, a grocery shop owner. Pritam Giri left home around 3 pm on January 6, telling his family he was stepping out. He never returned.

The next day, January 7, his family filed a missing person report at Misrod Police Station. CCTV footage showed him walking within the colony, but after that, he simply disappeared.

What no one knew was that the elderly man had fallen into the open elevator shaft from the third floor, directly outside his flat.

Shockingly, residents allege that the lift continued to operate for the next eight to 10 days, repeatedly moving over the body trapped inside the shaft.

The truth surfaced on January 16, when the lift suddenly stopped working. The society called a technician. As soon as the motor was restarted and the lift began to rise from the ground floor, a foul, nauseating odour filled the building.

"When we checked the shaft because of the smell, a decomposed body was found," a resident said. Family members later identified the body from the clothes and slippers.

Residents have made serious allegations against both the builder and the society management, accusing them of criminal negligence.

According to locals, the lift doors would often open even when the elevator car was not present. Shockingly, the shaft door was reportedly open right outside Pritam Giri's flat, creating a deadly trap.

"The lift has been faulty for months. Complaints were made again and again, but nothing was fixed," a resident alleged.

Manoj Giri, the man's son, said the lift was already malfunctioning on January 6 and was stuck about two feet below the ground floor.

"We assumed my father wouldn't use it. But no one checked properly. If police had inspected the lift immediately after we reported him missing, my father's body wouldn't have decomposed like this," he said, breaking down.

He also alleged that CCTV cameras on the third floor have not worked for years, despite repeated complaints.

Misrod Police Station House Officer Ratan Singh Parihar confirmed that a case has been registered.

"Detailed statements of family members are yet to be recorded. Further action will be decided after the post-mortem report and investigation," he said.

The post-mortem indicates death due to chest injuries caused by the fall, said Assistant Commissioner of Police, Rahnish Kashyap, adding, "We are issuing notices to those responsible for operating and maintaining the lift. If negligence is established, strict legal action will follow."

In May last year, before the Chinar Dream City horror, another lift-related tragedy unfolded nearby at Royal Farm Villa, where a power failure trapped an eight-year-old boy inside an elevator and triggered a fatal heart attack in his father during a frantic rescue attempt.

Two colonies, two lifts, two deaths, both exposing how fragile life becomes when systems fail, and panic takes over.