NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that the Satya Niketan building collapse was a result of “callous” and “criminal conduct”.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia made the remarks while hearing a fresh PIL on the issue, seeking a direction to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to create an online platform specifically mentioning the availability of hostel facilities in Delhi.
During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma said that the government had proactively mapped and earmarked a lot of land, buildings, water, wifi and electricity facilities.
The Bench noted the submission and cited a news report giving details of the five students who lost their lives in the incident.
“You (ASG) need to read the complete report. It is very tragic. Everyone should read it. It is not an ordinary incident of any mishap. These students come to your city with lots of hope and dreams, coming from small towns. All has been shattered by such callous and criminal conduct on the part of the authorities."
“Who does not know the problems of hostels in the city? This has been going on for a long time. Students have come to Delhi for higher education. This is not a new phenomenon. It has been happening for the last 20 to 25 years at least. They come with the hope to build a career. See what has happened,” the chief justice said.
The ASG said that it was “indeed an unfortunate and tragic incident”.
The court then tagged the plea along with similar PILs, which are to be heard on September 25.
According to police, the building, which housed a boys' paying guest accommodation near Delhi University's South Campus, collapsed around 1.30 pm while repair work was underway at its basement on September 6.
The locals alleged the basement was waterlogged that could have weakened the structure.
The Delhi Police has registered a case for culpable homicide, negligence in the upkeep of a structure, and endangering the safety of others.