Owner among 2 held; probe finds no drainage system in basement led to deaths of 3 students

The absence of a proper drainage system, inadequate safety measures, and the unauthorised use of a basement for commercial activities led to the tragic deaths of three civil services aspirants at a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar, central Delhi, officials and students reported on Sunday.

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The Delhi Police have arrested the owner and the coordinator of Rau’s IAS Study Circle and charged them with culpable homicide, among other offences. Later in the evening, a court sent them to 14-day judicial custody.

Political accusations ensued as the BJP and Congress criticised the AAP government, labelling the incident as “murder.”

The victims—Shreya Yadav from Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh; Tanya Soni from Telangana; and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam, Kerala—died after the basement of the coaching institute was flooded during heavy rain on Saturday evening.

While official statements are pending, some students claim that the tragedy occurred because many people were trapped in the basement due to a malfunctioning biometric entry-exit system.

Officials revealed that the three-story coaching institute, surrounded by residential and commercial establishments, was only permitted to use the basement as a storeroom. However, it was being used as a library, violating regulations.

An FIR was registered at Rajinder Nagar police station under sections 105 (culpable homicide) and 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing, or constructing buildings) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). So far, two individuals—coaching centre owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh—have been arrested.

According to the FIR, Gupta admitted there was no drainage system in the basement, leading to the deaths.