NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR and has initiated its probe into the deaths of three civil service aspirants who drowned in the basement of an Old Rajinder Nagar coaching centre, officials said on Wednesday.
Following the FIR, a team of CBI officials visited the building housing Rau’s IAS Study Circle on Wednesday and inspected the area where the tragedy occurred on July 27.
The CBI has registered the FIR naming the owner of the coaching institute, the officials said, adding that the case was taken over by the central agency from Delhi Police on late Tuesday evening following a Delhi High Court order.
Those named in the CBI FIR include Abhishek Gupta, owner of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, in accordance with the laid down procedure, the officials said. He has been booked under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing death due to negligence, voluntarily causing hurt, negligent conduct, and common intention, officials added.
Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana and Nevin Delvin (24) from Kerala drowned after water gushed into the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle following heavy rains. The IAS aspirants were studying in the allegedly unauthorised library at the basement when water flooded it, resulting in the deaths.
The Delhi High Court had castigated police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi over the students’ deaths, saying it was unable to understand how they could not come out of the basement. It also sought to know whether the doors were blocked or if the staircases were narrow.
The court had asked the Central Vigilance Commission to nominate a senior officer to oversee the CBI probe into the criminal case.
HC slams cops, civic authority
Condemning the Delhi Police and MCD action over the coaching centre deaths, the Delhi High Court on Friday transferred the probe into the incident to the CBI in view of the gravity of the situation and “to ensure people have no doubt over the investigation”.