Delhi coaching centre deaths: Tis Hazari Court on Thursday granted bail to Force Gurkha driver Manuj Kathuria. He was accused of driving his car through the street that was flooded by rainwater, causing the water to swell, breach the gates of the three-storey building housing the coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar, and inundate the basement where three IAS aspirants died.
Culpable homicide charge dropped against SUV driver
The development comes hours after the Delhi Police told the court that they have decided to drop the harsher charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the SUV driver in the coaching centre death case.
The decision to drop the charge was conveyed by the investigating officer (IO) to Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar, who was hearing an appeal against the denial of bail to the SUV driver.
The IO said, “During the further investigation, as carried out in the proceedings 48 hrs, it has transpired that the ingredients of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) is, at this stage, not being sufficiently established.”
Earlier, police registered an FIR under the BNS sections 105 (culpable homicide), 106(1) (death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), 115(2) (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings).
Civil services aspirants continue protest for fifth day
Meanwhie, civil services aspirants protesting the Rajinder Nagar coaching centre deaths continued their agitation for the fifth day on Thursday, a day after the area was again submerged following heavy rain. "We will continue our protest. The rain on Wednesday showed everyone the situation we face in this area during such conditions," Goutam, a civil service aspirant, said.
Goutam is also a part of the 15-member team that was formed on Wednesday by the protesting students to decide the protest's future course of action and communicate with the authorities concerned.
