Owner of Thar Among Five Arrested, MCD Seals 13 Coaching Center Basements

Delhi, 29th July 2024: Five more suspects have been arrested in the Rajendra Nagar incident in Delhi, where three students died due to waterlogging in a basement housing coaching centers. This brings the total arrests to seven. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed the basements of 13 coaching centers. Protests by students continue, demanding ₹1 crore for the families of the deceased and ₹50 lakh for the injured.

The Delhi Police arrested four building owners—Sarabjit Singh, Tejinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Parvinder Singh—all cousins residing in Karol Bagh. They rented the basement to Abhishek Gupta, owner of Rao IAS Coaching Center, for ₹4 lakh per month. DCP Central M Harshvardhan confirmed the arrests and stated, “Anyone found guilty in this incident will not be spared. We are taking strict action against those responsible and maintaining law and order.”

DCP Harshvardhan also noted that there was no permission for commercial activities in the basement. “We have sought information from the MCD and will investigate their role. The investigation is ongoing from all angles,” he added.

Following MCD’s action against coaching centers violating building bylaws, owners asked students using basement libraries to vacate. Amid the protests, MCD sealed the basements of 13 coaching centers in Karol Bagh on Sunday. Mayor Shelly Oberoi directed strict action against coaching centers operating illegally in basements.

In Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar, three students died due to waterlogging after rain. Students complained that biometric access is mandatory to enter the libraries, mostly located in basements. Student Manish Kumar told ANI, “On July 27, the biometric was blocked, causing students to get trapped in the waterlogged basement. This tragedy could have been avoided.”

Manish emphasized the need for alternatives to biometric access to prevent such tragedies. Another student, Puneet Singh, complained, “Most buildings here require biometric access for entry and exit. In any emergency, there are no balconies and no way to rescue those inside during a fire.”

Puneet added, “Who will be responsible for our lives and safety? Around 70-75 percent of the libraries in the area are controlled by biometrics and are located in basements.” Student Sahil mentioned, “We have been sitting here for the past two days, but no MCD official has come to meet us. We submitted our demands to the DCP yesterday, along with information about the deceased and those hospitalized.”

Students are demanding ₹1 crore compensation for the families of the deceased and ₹50 lakh for the injured. They also protested in Karol Bagh, raising demands including action against coaching centers running basement libraries, rent regulation, and an insurance cover or grievance redressal mechanism for students.