NEW DELHI: In the aftermath of a tragic incident that led to the deaths of three UPSC aspirants due to waterlogging at a coaching centre in Rajender Nagar, multiple pleas have been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking justice and accountability.
The primary plea, filed by the organisation Kutumb through their lawyer Rudra Vikram Singh, calls for the constitution of a High-Level Committee to investigate the incident, probe illegal commercial constructions, and compile a report on coaching institutes operating without adhering to standard norms.
“This writ petition is being filed in the public interest under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to bring to the court’s notice the violation of Article 21 by the respondents, and to investigate the incidents at the coaching institute in Rajender Nagar and other similar occurrences,” the plea stated.
The plea highlights that due to significant corruption within the departments of the respondents, many lives have been lost over the years. The capital of India has witnessed numerous horrifying incidents recently, with the Rajender Nagar tragedy being the latest.
The plea has been filed against the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Jal Board, and the Delhi Fire Service. It condemns the negligence of these bodies, stating that despite past directives from the court to crack down on coaching centres violating safety measures, compliance has been inadequate.
“In June last year, a fire incident occurred in Mukherjee Nagar. This court took suo moto cognizance and issued notices to the Fire Department and the Government of NCT of Delhi, seeking a status report. Directions were issued to crack down on unsafe coaching centres, yet the recent deaths of three young students prove that these directives were not followed,” the plea argued.
The plea also emphasized that over 50 per cent of commercial buildings in Delhi operate illegally, many in residential areas, without proper approvals and clearances. It accused corrupt officers of allowing this illegal functioning for bribes, resulting in repeated tragedies and embarrassment for the capital.
The petition further contended that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21, and the respondents have failed to provide this, with their negligence leading to avoidable deaths.
In a separate plea, the NGO Hindu Rashtriya Pravasi Manch, represented by lawyer AP Singh, requested an independent inquiry into the incident to determine the responsibility of the MCD, Rao IAS Study Centre, and the Government of Delhi. They also sought adequate compensation for the victims' families and the injured.
On June 27, three IAS aspirants, all in their twenties, died a tragic death after they got trapped in a pool of water that had accumulated in the basement of a building housing Rau's IAS coaching institute in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area following a spell of brief but heavy rains.
As per officials, Rau’s IAS coaching institute was illegally operating a library in the basement area, flouting all norms.
Further, what added to the problem was the calamity could have been prevented had the people not encroached on the streets and covered the storm drains, revealed an MCD official present at the spot.
Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg confirmed to TNIE that the coaching institute had permission to use the basement as a store room, but it was being used as a library which is a violation of the rules.
"The building has fire NOC, but in the NOC they had shown the basement will be used as a store room. The management of the institute was using the same room as a classroom or library which is a violation of the NOC," Garg said. Moreover, there was no drainage in the basement from where the water could have passed out.