A 46-year-old director of a retail chain was crushed to death under an elevator after he stepped into its shaft in Worli here, police said on Monday.

Vishal Mewani, who was the director of Kohinoor Electronics, went to meet his friend in the two-storey Buena Vista building in Worli on Sunday evening, an officer said.

Mewani called for the lift, but stepped into its shaft after opening the lift channel.

On realising that he was in the shaft, Mewani tried to move out but failed and got crushed under the lift that was coming down, the officer said.

Fire brigade officials rushed to the spot and Mewani was pulled out. He was taken to Breach Candy Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

“He spoke to his wife 30 minutes before the incident and told her that he was going to meet his friend...,” Worli police station’s senior inspector Sukhlal Varpe said.