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Three IAS aspirants, Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Navin Dalwin, died in a flooded basement at Rau's IAS Study Circle. The incident caused student protests, blaming the MCD for negligence. In response, officials sealed 13 illegal coaching centers in Old Rajinder Nagar.
Father of Navin Dalwin, one of the victims of the drowning incident that took place basement at Rau's IAS Study Circle approached the Delhi High Court seeking impleadment. The father of Navin contended that ‘CBI has not interrogated a single officer’.
The bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, however, expressed concerns regarding the adequacy of his application. Upon reviewing Dalwin’s affidavit, the court remarked that it was improperly filed. The counsel for the father explained that the cause title in the affidavit had been handwritten due to a mistake.
The court further noted that the application was not signed by Navin’s father, raising procedural concerns.
Additionally, the court sought updates from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the case, stating that multiple directions had been issued previously.
Counsel for MCD informed the court that several encroachments had been removed from the drainage area involved in the incident.
The father raised the issue that, although the CBI had been directed to conduct a thorough investigation, it had not yet interrogated any individuals involved.
The court, addressing the MCD, insisted on the filing of a fresh status report detailing their actions. It further highlighted the growing number of allegations against the MCD and reminded the agency of its accountability.
Turning to Dalwin, the court clarified that the investigation was not solely entrusted to the CBI, as a vigilance committee had also been tasked with overseeing the process. The Father responded by stating that no officers or owners associated with the Rau Study Circle had been interrogated thus far.
Background:
Students approached the High Court, seeking the establishment of a high-level committee to investigate the deaths of these civil aspirants.
During the hearing, the bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela questioned the police regarding the reasons for arresting a passerby driver. The bench expressed dismay over the government's actions, noting that the government was shifting blame for such incidents without any particular authority taking accountability.
However, in an unusual turn of events, the Tis Hazari Court denied bail to the SUV driver on the same day. Judicial Magistrate Vinod Kumar noted that the allegations against the SUV driver were serious, observing that CCTV footage showed him driving the vehicle on an already waterlogged road at high speed, causing a large displacement of water. The court further observed that the gate of the premises gave way, allowing water to enter the basement, resulting in the loss of three innocent lives.
However, the driver was soon discharged after the police decided to drop the harsher charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Later, the high court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate the deaths of three civil aspirants who were drowned after the casement of a coaching center was flooded.
Recently, the high court granted interim bail to the owners of the basement involved in the tragic flooding incident. The court directed the basement owners to pay 5 crores to the Red Cross Society. The amount is to be ‘used for the student welfare and for the purpose of streamlining the functioning of coaching centers in Delhi’.
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