NOIDA: A one-year-old and her aunt remained stuck inside a lift for 15 minutes after a power cut at Hyde Park society in Sector 78, during which the child allegedly fell unconscious. The family filed a police complaint against the apartments owners’ association (AOA) and maintenance staff. But the move triggered an ugly spat, with the family accusing the AOA president and the estate manager and six-seven guards of physical assault.
Hemraj Chandel, a private firm executive, told TOI he and his brother Jitendra Gehlot stay in the same society in different towers. On Wednesday night, the family celebrated the birthday of Jitendra’s son. “My sister Neetu Thakur (42), who was returning later with Jitendra’s daughter Anaya to her flat on the 21st floor of tower P, took the lift on the ground floor but it stopped suddenly on the third level,” Hemraj said.
Neetu tried to seek help but did not get any support from the maintenance staff, he added. “The alarm did not work and there was no power backup. Without any fan or electricity, Anaya fell unconscious. A security guard rushed to help and tried his best to help open the door of the lift but could not do so,” Hemraj said.
The lift started functioning only after 15 minutes when the electricity returned. After local police were informed, a Dial 112 arrived at the society. The family alleged that when AOA president Ashwani Tripathi found out about the police complaint, he and estate manager Suhag reached Neetu’s house around 8pm on Thursday and misbehaved with her family. “Later, they called us for a discussion but six-seven guards were already present,” Hemraj alleged.
When Hemraj, Jitendra, his wife Reena and another family member, Bunty, reached the spot to speak to Tripathi, he directed the guards to beat them up, Hemraj claimed. “We were attacked with sticks. The guards also had a rod,” he alleged.
On the basis of a complaint from the family, an FIR was lodged on Friday against Tripathi, Suhag and five-six unknown guards under IPC sections 323, 147, 504 and 109, Sector 49 SHO Vinod Kumar Singh said.
Tripathi claimed the family had tried to “create anarchy in the society” in the past. “We have summoned the maintenance company and asked them to ensure such an incident isn’t repeated,” he said.
