RG Kar Lift Kills Father of Sick Child
By KUNAL CHATTERJEE
Kolkata, March 20, 2026: What started as a desperate dad's trip to treat his sick young son ended in unimaginable tragedy at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Arup Banerjee, 41, was rescued from a malfunctioning elevator early Friday morning but succumbed to his injuries soon after. Doctors at the hospital declared him dead, and a preliminary post-mortem revealed devastating damage: fractures to his hands, legs, and ribs, plus ruptures in his heart, lungs, and liver from the brutal crushing.
The incident unfolded around early morning when Arup entered one of the hospital's 32 elevators. According to a detailed complaint by his grieving father, Amal Banerjee, the lift was running smoothly until a button was pressed. It then jerked erratically—shooting up and down—trapping three people inside in panic. When it finally halted at a floor with a collapsible gate, Arup tried to escape. But the elevator surged upward again, wedging him fatally between the car and the shaft wall.
Amal Banerjee's written complaint reached hospital superintendent Dr. Saptarshi Chatterjee, who forwarded it to Tala Police Station. Officers have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and summoned five individuals for questioning, including mentions of the elevator operator.
"It's heartbreaking—no death like this should happen," Dr. Chatterjee said, owning up to lapses. "The family didn't blame anyone specific but highlighted the operator's role. Operators are temporary, hired by an external agency under PWD Electrical oversight. Had one been inside, this might have been avoided. It's our admin failure." In immediate response, RG Kar has banned solo rides. "A staffer will now sit inside every elevator on a stool—no exceptions," Dr. Chatterjee announced. They've urged PWD to station operators inside permanently.
The Resident Doctors' Association ramped up pressure with a seven-point memorandum to the superintendent. Key demands: a high-level inquiry, strict action against the negligent, reopening the old emergency ward to fix overcrowding in the Trauma Care Building, proper elevator operator recruitment, and CCTV surveillance on all lifts.
This comes amid RG Kar's troubled history, including last year's high-profile rape-murder case that sparked state-wide protests. As police probe deepens, the hospital community mourns Arup—a family man caught in a preventable nightmare—and vows no repeats. Families now ask: How safe are our public hospitals?
