Illegal lift turns death trap: Meerut businessman dies in freak mishap; workers witness 15-minute horror

MEERUT: A 63-year-old sports equipment manufacturer died after his neck got trapped in an "illegal" goods lift inside his workshop during a power outage in Meerut's Surajkund area on Saturday evening, police said.Harvinder Singh was using the lift meant for transporting goods from the ground to the second floor when a power cut occurred. Police said Singh leaned out to check the situation, just as the electricity suddenly resumed, causing the lift to move abruptly and trap his neck. CCTV footage captured him stuck in the elevator for nearly 15 minutes. Factory workers managed to pull him out and rush him to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.SP (city) Ayush Vikram Singh said, "His body was sent for postmortem examination, and the autopsy reports are awaited. No complaint has been filed in the case. Further action will be taken accordingly."A police official privy to the investigation said, "The preliminary investigation revealed that the lift was illegally installed and the building was constructed in a residential zone, where commercial activity is not permitted. The lift didn't comply with the UP Lift Act norms." The family said the lift had been installed just ten days ago.Harvinder Singh's family had migrated to Meerut from Sialkot, Pakistan, during Partition. He is survived by two sons. Following his death, the Sports Goods Association observed a day of mourning and kept the Surajkund market shut on Sunday.This is not the first time a lift-related fatality has been reported in Meerut. Last year, a 28-year-old woman died after getting trapped in a hospital elevator minutes after giving birth. The hospital was later sealed for failing to meet basic safety norms.