NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of a 17-year-old boy who died after a concrete block fell on him from a flat owned by the civic body.
The incident, which occurred in July 2007, claimed the life of Sonu, a student and athlete. He was a class 11 student at a government school, the captain of the junior kabaddi team and a member of the National Cadet Corps (NCC).
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav stated that the MCD was solely responsible for the proper upkeep of the premises.
“The responsibility to ensure proper maintenance of the premises unequivocally rested upon the MCD, which has a bounden duty to repair dangerous constructions in its territorial limits,” the court said.
The judgment further noted that the MCD’s negligence was evident, as the civic body had failed to prevent or mitigate the risk posed by the building’s deteriorating condition. The premises, the court said, were in a “dangerous condition,” and the MCD was fully aware of the potential hazard but failed to act.
The family’s counsel argued that the MCD had not provided any safety measures, such as fencing, watchmen, or warning signs, to alert passersby to the dangers posed by the crumbling building.
The MCD’s counsel attempted to argue that Sonu may have entered the premises with the intent of theft and was a trespasser.
However, the court dismissed this allegation, stating there was no evidence to support the claim.