Noida lift crash: Second general manager of private construction company held for safety negligence

The Noida Police on Sunday said it has arrested a general manager of a private construction company in connection with the lift crash that killed eight labourers, adding that the machine was operated 'negligently' despite rain that morning.

The responsibility of maintaining safety standards at the tower where the incident took place on Friday was with this accused general manager, who has been arrested, the police said.

This is the second arrest in the case. The police have booked nine named people and some others over negligence with respect to the machinery and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Eight workers died after the lift crashed from the 14th floor of an under-construction tower at the Amrapali Dream Valley project in Noida Extension, also known as Greater Noida (West). State-run NBCC is completing the long-delayed project started in 2011 by the now-beleaguered Amrapali Group.

The NBCC had hired Giridhari Lal Construction Private Limited for the project.

"Lovejeet Kumar Sharma (38), who works as a general manager (administration) at Giridhari Lal Construction Private Limited, was on Sunday arrested from his apartment in Greater Noida in connection with the lift crash at the under-construction Amrapali Dream Valley society," the police said in a statement.

"During the investigative proceedings in the case, it was revealed that Sharma is working in the post of GM (Adminstration Commercial) of Girdhari Lal Contraction Private Limited and is also a signing authority on behalf of the company," the police said.

Sharma was related to tower numbers C-11 and C-12 and the entire responsibility of the safety standards related to the lift was with him.

"They continued to operate the lift despite the rain. This was deliberate negligence on their part, due to which an unfortunate incident took place," the police said in the statement.

On Saturday, another general manager -- Devendra Sharma -- was held by the police, marking the first arrest in the case.

"The private company has several general managers. Sharma was responsible for construction work on the tower whose lift crashed Friday," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Noida) Suniti told PTI on Saturday.

An FIR was lodged of Friday at the local Bisrakh Police Station and nine people, including NBCC officials, were booked for negligence and culpable homicide, among others, in connection with the case, according to police.

A financial relief of Rs 25 lakh has been extended to the kin of the eight workers who died and the NBCC is bearing medical expenses of the injured labourer, currently hospitalised in critical condition, an official of the state-run company said.

The NBCC, Gautam Buddh Nagar and the local Greater Noida authorities are separately probing into the matter, according to officials.