The Delhi High Court is expected to hear a petition tomorrow requesting the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the Rajendra Nagar incident that led to the deaths of three UPSC aspirants. The petition was brought before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela by advocate Rudra Singh.
Shreya Yadav from Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala tragically lost their lives after the basement of the coaching institute building was inundated following heavy rainfall on July 27. On July 28, the police arrested the owner and coordinator of the coaching center, Rau’s IAS Study Circle, charging them with culpable homicide and other offenses.
The police investigation revealed that the flooding was primarily due to civic authorities’ failure to clear the roadside drains before the monsoon and the lack of proper drainage provisions in the basement, where an illegal library was operating, as reported by Mint on July 29.
The Delhi Police have formed multiple teams to investigate the underlying causes of the incident. Over 35 people, including students and staff, were trapped on July 28 when water began flooding the basement.
According to a Mint report, an MCD official stated that the building’s completion certificate specified that the basement was designated only for parking and storage, yet an illegal library was being operated there.
On July 29, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) established a committee to investigate the incident. This committee will examine the causes, assign responsibility, recommend measures, and propose policy changes to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena had previously announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh each for the families of the deceased civil services aspirants.
