Delhi coaching centre deaths horror: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up authorities over the deaths of three UPSC aspirants who drowned in the basement of a coaching centre and hinted at asking central agency to probe the mishap. A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan said a "strange probe" was going on with police action against the passerby who drove a car but no action against MCD officials. The Court also suggested that if the investigation officer does not conduct a thorough probe, the case could be transferred to a central agency.
Fixing Friday as the next hearing date, the High Court has instructed MCD Commissioner, DCP of the district and Investigation Officer (IO) to appear in the court. It has also asked MCD to file an affidavit and explain the steps taken so far.
'Close all illegal coaching centers by Friday'
Advocate Rudra Vikram Singh, representing the petitioner trust, Kutumb, argued that the Rajinder Nagar incident is not new, drawing parallels to previous incidents such as the Mukherjee Nagar incident and the Vivek Vihar fire incident. Singh highlights a previous High Court order that directed the closure of illegal coaching centers in response to the Mukherjee Nagar incident.
The Delhi High Court criticised the Delhi Government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and other civic authorities. The court questioned why century-old infrastructure had not been upgraded, despite the liberalisation of bylaws.
Delhi HC further questioned how water entered the basements during the Rajinder Nagar incident, emphasising that the infrastructure had not been adequately upgraded. The court criticised the civic authorities, stating, "I'm sorry to say the civic authorities are bankrupt," highlighting a severe lack of effective action and responsibility in addressing infrastructure issues and safety concerns."
'Strategy where no person is held responsible'
It added, "We understand all stakeholders are responsible. We are all part of the city. Even we are opening the drain, closing the drain. But the difference is, you are building the city. This is a strategy where no person is held responsible. We have to find out where the jurisdiction of one authority ends and the responsibility of another begins."
The Delhi High Court has even directed that MCD senior officials must visit the affected areas to ensure change. The court ordered that an affidavit detailing the actions taken be submitted by tomorrow. It also mandated that all relevant files be produced before the court and that the MCD Director must be present. Additionally, Delhi Police should be added as a respondent in the case.
