Delhi IAS Coaching Center Tragedy: Owner and Coordinator Arrested | 7 Big Updates

New Delhi: Following the tragic incident at RAU's IAS Study Circle in Rajendra Nagar, Delhi, where three civil service aspirants lost their lives due to basement flooding, the police have arrested the coaching center's owner, Abhishek Gupta, and coordinator, Deshpal Singh. The victims have been identified as Shreya Yadav, Tania Soni, and Nevin Delvin. The FIR registered includes charges under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 304A (causing death by negligence), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 336 (endangering life or personal safety), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). The management of the coaching center and civic agency officials are under investigation.

Basement Use Violation

The Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued to the coaching center specified that the basement should only be used for storage purposes. However, this regulation was violated as the basement was used as a library. The DFS chief has indicated this clear breach, stating they will take action by notifying the DCP and MCD. The NOC was specifically for storage, and the coaching center failed to comply by seating students in the basement.

MCD's Efforts to Remove Water

MCD Supervisor Rishipal reported that nearly all the water has been pumped out, with only 3-4 inches remaining. The MCD deployed all necessary equipment to clear the basement and the building is now empty. No one is trapped inside. Following the incident, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered strict action against coaching centers violating building bylaws by operating in basements.

Mayor's Directives for Action

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi instructed the MCD Commissioner to take immediate action against all coaching centers operating in basements in violation of building regulations across the city. She also called for an investigation to determine if any MCD officials were responsible for the tragedy. If found guilty, strict action will be taken against them. The RAF unit has been deployed outside the coaching center to manage the situation.

Ongoing Student Protests

Since the incident, students have been protesting outside the coaching center, chanting slogans against the MCD and the coaching center management. Protesters claim that the MCD's negligence led to the disaster, with one student stating, "I have been living here for two years. Every time it rains for half an hour, water rises up to our knees. This has been happening continuously for two years. This is not a disaster, it's sheer negligence."

Incident Sparks Political Reactions

On Sunday, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal visited the site, but students requested her to leave, expressing their desire to keep politics out of the tragedy. Maliwal later posted on social media, questioning who would take responsibility for the deaths. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya also commented that the unfortunate deaths in Rajendra Nagar could have been avoided.

Delhi Government Orders Inquiry

The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. AAP's official tweet stated, "Following the tragic accident in Rajendra Nagar last night, Minister Atishi has directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi to initiate an investigation and submit a report within 24 hours."

BJP Criticizes AAP Government

Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj alleged that the basement flooding was due to uncleaned drains. She claimed that for over a week, residents had repeatedly asked MLA Durgesh Pathak to clean the drains, but their requests were ignored, resulting in water flooding the basement. Swaraj mentioned that divers were deployed for the rescue operation, highlighting the severity of the situation. BJP leader RP Singh criticized the delayed desilting work, questioning the accountability of the Delhi government and the MLA regarding the unutilized funds for desilting.

The RAU's IAS coaching center incident underscores the critical need for adherence to fire safety regulations and proper use of building spaces to prevent such tragedies in the future.