32-year-old gym caretaker falls to death in Chandigarh

Representational photo

A 32-YEAR-OLD caretaker of Valentine Gym, Banty, fell to death from the top floor of a four-storey building, which housed the gym and a disco, in Sector 17 on Saturday night. Police claimed the victim consumed liquor along with his three friends on the roof of the building and fell on the ground after losing his balance.

The police have ruled out any foul play and initiated inquest proceedings. The three friends who consumed liquor along with the victim have been identified as Ashish, 21, Vijay, 20, and Shalom Samson, 19, all residents of Sector 7.

The incident happened when three friends had left the roof leaving the victim alone on the floor around 10.30 pm. The victim lived along with his family in the quarters of employees at Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Sector 12. The victim had been employed with the gym for the last two years.

In their statements to the police, the victim’s friends maintained that they consumed the liquor on the roof together and Banty told them to go downstairs. He said he would come after taking their helmets, which were inside the gym, and after locking the gym. They maintained that as they were coming downstairs, they heard a loud noise of falling of an object and found the victim in a pool of blood on the ground. The victim was rushed to GMSH-16 in an auto and doctors declared him brought dead.

Inspector Maninder Singh, SHO of Sector 17 police station, said, “Initially the kin of victim claimed foul play behind the death but when they interacted with the friends of victim, they ruled out any foul play. The statement of victim’s younger brother, Dimple, and his uncle, Arun Kumar, was also recorded.” The victim was to get engaged after six months. The body was handed over to family members after a postmortem examination.