Delhi Police have detained the owner and coordinator of an IAS coaching centre in Old Rajender Nagar following the deaths of three students in a flooded basement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harshavardhan announced on Sunday.
The victims, identified as Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nivin Dalwin from Kerala, perished when the institute’s basement filled with water during heavy rains.
“We’ve registered a case against the coaching institute, the building management, and those responsible for drain maintenance,” DCP Harshavardhan stated. The case includes charges under various sections of the BNS Act.
Rescue operations involving Delhi Police, Fire Service, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) recovered the bodies, which have been sent to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for autopsy.
The incident sparked protests among students, demanding action against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the coaching institute’s management. Additional DCP Sachin Sharma assured demonstrators of a thorough investigation.
Former Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal criticized the incident on social media, alleging corruption in the operation of illegal basements and questioning the lack of safety measures.
“Who will take responsibility for the deaths of three students due to drowning in the basement? Students reveal that they had been demanding drain cleaning repeatedly for ten days, but no action was taken. How can illegal basements operate without corruption? How can extra floors be added? How can encroachments on roads and drains occur without bribes? It is clear that there is no need to follow safety rules, just pay money, and the work gets done,” Maliwal said in a post on X.
“Just sit in AC rooms every day and conduct ‘Important Press Conferences’. They are not ready to work on the ground. Haven’t they learned anything from the deaths due to electric shocks in Patel Nagar a few days ago?” she added in the post.
Notably, the Old Rajender Nagar incident comes days after a UPSC aspirant was electrocuted on a waterlogged Delhi street.
(Inputs from ANI)