High-level committee to probe Shah being trapped in lift

Patna, Aug 25: Bihar government today set up a high-level committee to probe how BJP national president Amit Shah got trapped inside a lift of the state guest house here four days ago.

A notification issued by the state Home Department (Special) said a high-level committee has been set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, to find out reasons behind Shah, a VIP guest, and others getting trapped inside the lift on the day and suggest measures for prevention of such incidents in future.

The committee, headed by Principal Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) Shishir Sinha and Principal Secretary (Building) Deepak Prasad, Secretary (Energy) Pratyaya Amrit and ADG (Headquarters) Sunil Kumar as members, has been directed to submit its report to the state government within a month, the notification said.

Shah and some other BJP leaders got trapped inside the lift of the state guest house for about 40 minutes around 11.15 PM on August 21.

They were rescued by CRPF personnel accompanying the BJP national president as part of 'Z plus' security cover given to him by the Centre. The incident had created furore in political circles with opposition BJP blaming the state government for laxity even as it claimed that the lift had developed snag due to overloading.

Principal Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) Shishir Sinha, who had visited the state guest house with the Secretary (I&PRD) Pratyaya Amrit to inquire into the incident had said the lift got stuck due to overloading beyond its permissible capacity of 340 kg.

PTI