Five more held; bulldozer action as anger mounts
Samad Hoque
New Delhi, July 29
The Delhi Police arrested five more people on Monday in connection with the deaths of three Civil Services aspirants due to flooding in the basement of Rau’s coaching centre on Saturday evening.
Earlier, the police had arrested the building owner and the coordinator of the coaching centre. The total number of arrests now stands at seven.
Those who were arrested on Monday are the building owner’s son and three relatives, including the basement owner. It was found that each floor of the building was owned by a different person. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District, M Harshvardhan, said, “We are committed to ensuring strict action against those involved in the case.”
The police also arrested the owner of a Force Gurkha vehicle, Manuj Kathuria, that sped past the coaching centre on the fateful day, causing high waves that damaged the entrance gate and allowed water to enter the basement.
All five — Tejinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, Sarabjeet Singh and Kathuria — were produced before Tis Hazari Court and were sent to 14-day custody. The police have also sought information from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) regarding the incident.
The MCD also began bulldozer action in front of the centre, removing encroachments on the pavements to clear the way for the drainage system. Besides, the MCD terminated one officer and suspended another while launching an anti-encroachment drive in Old Rajinder Nagar.
MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar said, “A junior engineer has been terminated and an assistant engineer suspended in connection with the deaths.” Both officials were part of the maintenance department of the Karol Bagh Zone. The assistant engineer will receive a subsistence allowance during the suspension period. The MC also conducted a sealing drive in Rajinder Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar.
UPSC aspirant writes to CJI
New Delhi: A Civil Services aspirant has written to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, seeking action against the officials responsible for the deaths of three fellow students who died in the basement of a coaching centre here. In his letter, Avinash Dubey also urged the SC to direct officials to find a permanent solution to the recurring problem of waterlogging in areas such as Rajinder Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar. He said students residing in these areas are “living a life of hell” due to the annual flooding caused by “apathy” of the Delhi Government and MCD. PTI
Why was SUV driver held?
The police said the SUV driver drove through the flooded street, causing the water to swell and breach the gates of the three-storeyed building and inundate the basement. The SUV was also seized.
