Three friends cheated death after the cable of the lift snapped as they entered inside, plunging the cabin down the shaft to the ground floor of the seven-storey Atlas Skywalkers building in Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri (W) on Friday.
Siddharth Beheray (39) had invited his friends Nishabd Potnis (39), and Yogesh Pitale (38), for a casual visit to his house when the incident occurred at 9.10 pm while they were leaving Beheray’s third floor flat.
While Beheray and Pitale sustained minor injuries to their leg and back, Potnis was not that fortunate. “Potnis sustained multiple injuries and fractures on his leg. He is grounded for two months, as the doctors have advised him complete rest,” said Beheray. Potnis was operated upon on Sunday, while Beheray and Pitale were discharged on Saturday after receiving medical treatment.
Maintenance issues
Although, the medical expenses have touched Rs 70,000 and climbing, Beheray claimed that they don’t want any compensation, but their intention is to highlight the dangers associated with shoddy maintenance being carried out by lift contractors. Beheray said that the lift was recently serviced on June 6.
The seven-storey building has three wings, and each has two lifts. After the incident, Beheray approached the Oshiwara police station and has filed a non-cognisable complaint in this regard.
Beheray added that he had purchased a flat in the building in 2004, but in 2010 he bought another flat in the adjoining building, where he now resides.
“We were chatting below my old house when we decided to pay a visit to the flat,” said Beheray.
Meanwhile, one of the committee members of the society said that they have submitted a letter to the police, notifying them of the incident.
