IN A spine-chilling case of administrative and security failure, decomposed body of 77-yearold Pritam Giri was re c ov e re d from a lift duct in a private residential society under M i s r o d P o l i c e Station limits. The victim had been missing for 11 days, highlighting severe maintenance lapses and a perceived lack of urgency by local authorities. According to the residents, elevators across the society’s 11 blocks have been out of order for over six months.

 

Despite regular maintenance collections, lifts lacked essential safety features like functional emergency alarms, buttons or even basic lighting. This chronic neglect turned a daily utility into a death trap for the elderly resident. Giri went missing on January 6. Although a missing person report was filed immediately, the victim’s family alleges that the police failed to conduct a thorough search of the premises, instead summoning the family repeatedly to the station for paperwork.

 

The grisly discovery was made on January 16 when the body was found in a highly decomposed state. Investigating officers suggest that the victim may have initially survived the fall but succumbed to severe head and leg injuries as the elevator mechanism continued to operate above him. Security Blind Spots The tragedy has exposed a complete breakdown of security infrastructure. CCTV cameras in the society had reportedly been non-functional for five years.