Investigation into the lift crash at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Byculla, which claimed one life this month, has hit a roadblock. The police have found that while the lift operator was not under contract to maintain it, the lift in question is not covered under the Maharashtra Lifts Act.
The police are also going through the law books to find a solution to the quandary. An officer said, “As the operator was not legally bound to maintain the lift, prosecuting him for negligence under the Indian Penal Code is not an option. Moreover, hydraulic lifts do not fall under the purview of the Maharashtra Lifts Act. This means that the museum is not legally bound to renew the maintenance contract.”
On May 9, Dr. Arnavaz Haveliwala, a resident of Grant Road, succumbed to injuries sustained on April 28 when the lift in the museum crashed after she entered it on the first floor. The Byculla police booked the lift operator for causing death due to negligence. Investigating officers said a report from the lifts inspector of the Public Works Department said the lift was not electric, but hydraulic.
Not legally bound
Abhinash Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III), said, “The annual maintenance contract signed between the museum authorities and the lift provider expired in March. Establishments with electric lifts are required to renew maintenance contracts and conduct inspections regularly. Lift licences are not renewed if they fail to do so. In this case, we found that hydraulic lifts are not covered under the Maharashtra Lifts Act. Which means, technically, neither the museum nor the operator can be prosecuted under law.”
The police are awaiting more reports to ascertain the reason for the crash. An officer, who is part of the investigation, said, “Usually, lifts have a locking mechanism that comes into effect when a lift starts going into free fall. We are checking why this did not work.”