GHAZIABAD: The body of a 24-year-old cleaner was found trapped under a goods lift inside a banquet hall in the Sihani Gate area on Friday, police said.
The deceased, identified as Shiv Kumar from Hapur, is believed to have died after getting stuck in the lift. However, police said the exact cause of death will be confirmed after a post-mortem examination.
According to ACP (Nandgram) Upasana Pandey, the incident came to light around 11am when Rajesh Singh, manager of Red K Velvet Banquet, discovered the body and informed the police.
Contractor Mahendra, who had hired Shiv Kumar, told police that Shiv and a few others had been called to the banquet hall on Thursday afternoon for cleaning work. He suspects that Shiv may have attempted to use the goods lift to go to the first floor while carrying a bucket and brooms. The lift may have stopped due to overloading, and Shiv could have lost his balance in the process. Since the lift had a protective cover installed, no one noticed that he was trapped.
Mahendra said that when work ended in the evening, Shiv could not be found despite searches by colleagues. “The next morning, we were informed that his body had been found under the lift,” he said.
Police said the body showed signs of serious injury, suggesting that Shiv may have fallen from the lift at some point during the night. His cousin told police that Shiv had been living in Nandgram and had been doing odd jobs for the past few years.
However, the family has alleged foul play. Shiv’s cousin claimed that he may have been killed following a dispute with colleagues and that the body was later hidden in the lift. The family has said they will wait for the post-mortem report before drawing conclusions.
Police have initiated an investigation and said further details will emerge after the autopsy.
