Delhi Police have arrested five more people in connection with the deaths of three civil service aspirants who drowned in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in Rajinder Nagar, bringing the total number of arrests to seven.
Meanwhile, bulldozer action has commenced to remove encroachments near Rau's IAS Study Centre. Delhi Police had already granted permission for the operation.
Among those arrested are the owners of the basement and a person whose vehicle was seen driving by the coaching centre and sending a huge wave of water crashing into the institute's gate, allegedly damaging it during the heavy rains, police said on Monday.
The owner and coordinator of Rau's IAS Study Circle, where the tragedy occurred, were arrested on Sunday. Both were charged with culpable homicide, negligence and other charges, and sent to judicial custody.
"Whoever is at fault in this incident will not be spared," said Deputy Commissioner of Police M Harshavardhan. "We are taking strict action against those responsible for the incident and maintaining law and order in the area."
Among the latest arrests are four relatives of Amarjeet, the building owner, including his son. The different floors of the building were registered under the names of different people, police sources said.
Additionally, the owner of a Force Gurkha car, which is believed to have damaged the gate of the building, has also been taken in custody. A now viral video shows the SUV driving down the waterlogged road in front of the coaching centre, which results in a large amount of water hitting the institute's gate. The gate buckles under pressure, allowing water to gush into the basement.
Police are scrutinising the building’s structure and the role of the local municipality in managing the area’s drainage system. The Delhi Fire Service is inspecting the building and its basement, which was illegally used as a library.
Sources said police will question municipal officials about the area’s drainage system and issue a notice seeking information. Those responsible for maintaining the system have been named as accused in the FIR.
Bulldozers are removing encroachments near the coaching centre following prior approval by Delhi Police to carry out the operation.
The absence of a proper drainage system, safety violations at the coaching centre, and illegal basement operations have been blamed for the deaths. An MCD official highlighted "gross criminal negligence" on the part of the institute owner.
The Delhi government said in a statement that a civic body team visited the central Delhi coaching hub to initiate action against institutes operating from basements. Thirteen such coaching centres were sealed during the action.
Amid growing public anger, security has been tightened in the Old Rajendra Nagar area. Protests erupted outside the coaching centre, with students demanding justice for the victims. “We have deployed paramilitary forces and police in the area to maintain law and order,” a senior police officer said.
More than 35 individuals, including students and staff, were trapped on Saturday evening when water began flooding the coaching centre's basement following heavy rains. Three students—Shreya Yadav from UP, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Kerala—lost their lives in the incident.
Delhi Police have registered an FIR and formed multiple teams to probe the incident. The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the tragedy.
Source: India Today