Family claims harassment after they were trapped in society lift

NOIDA: The police on Saturday booked the office bearers and guards of the Hyde Park Society in Sector 78 for allegedly accosting members of a family for calling the police after they were stuck in the society’s elevator on Friday.

Complainant Hemraj Chandel, a resident of the society, said, “Around Thursday midnight, my sister-in-law and my one-year-old daughter were trapped in the elevator near the third floor of the building for over 15 minutes. The intercom and the emergency button did not function. No technician or guard reached to help them either,” said Chandel.

“Eventually, a resident heard their cries for help and informed a guard and helped them out. By then, my daughter had already fainted. We had to rush her to a nearby hospital. She is doing better now. The attitude of the AOA (apartment owners’ association) members and the security guards were very lax and the absence of any emergency help was shocking, which is why we called the police and registered our grievance,” said Chandel.

On Friday, he said, he received a call from his family members who alleged that the AOA members were misbehaving with them.

“When I reached home, I found that people from the AOA and the management misbehaving with my family. They were arguing with us unnecessarily. They had several security guards with them who even became aggressive and assaulted us, following which we filed a written complaint with the local police. All this happened in the common area of the building,” said Chandel.

Four of his family members, including two women, suffered minor injuries in the scuffle, he said.

“We sent the injured family members for medical examination. The CCTV footage of the society is being checked. Due action will be taken,” said Vinod Kumar Singh, station house officer at Sector 49 police station.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered against the AOA office bearers and the security guards of the society under sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 147 (rioting) and 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code.

The president of the AOA did not respond to repeated calls and messages seeking comment.

THE COMPLAINANT SAID HIS 1-YR-OLD DAUGHTER AND SISTER-IN-LAW WERE TRAPPED IN AN ELEVATOR FOR OVER 15 MINUTES