Govt’s multi-pronged response to coaching centre deaths highlights failures in drainage, regulation, and accountability

NEW DELHI: Absence of drainage system and safety measures, and use of basement for commercial activities in violation of norms led to the death of three civil services aspirants at a coaching centre in central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area on Sunday.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday constituted a high-level committee drawing officials from various central ministries and the Delhi government to enquire into the unfortunate incident at a coaching centre in old Rajinder Nagar in the national capital, officials said.

The three IAS aspirants who lost their lives in the tragedy were Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala.

It all began with a sudden and heavy rainstorm that hit Delhi’s Rajender Nagar area on the evening of the tragedy. Inside the Rau’s IAS coaching institute library, over 30 students were absorbed in their studies around 6:30 pm, with the sound of rain gently audible.

Without warning, a guard burst in, breaking the silence to shout, “Rainwater is coming inside. Evacuate the library immediately,” according to an eyewitness. Within just 10 minutes, the basement—about 12 feet high—was partially flooded.

The rainwater surge was exacerbated by an SUV that, while navigating the flooded road outside, created large waves that crashed into the institute’s iron gate, breaking it. This gate had been holding back the floodwaters, but once breached, the water rushed into the basement.

Footage from an onlooker across the street captured the unfolding disaster, including the SUV’s impact and the waves it generated. As water poured into the basement, panic ensued. Most students managed to escape, but three were trapped and tragically drowned before the police and fire brigade, who arrived with seven rescue vehicles, could reach them.

Initial police investigations have revealed that the coaching institute was “illegally operating” a library in the basement area. A case was registered under relevant provisions of the BNS, including culpable homicide and the accused owner along with institute coordinator were arrested on Sunday.

On Monday, the police arrested Five more accused in connection with the incident, the five accused — Tejinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Harvinder Singh and Sarabjeet Singh, the four co-owners of the basement of the coaching centre at Rajinder Nagar, and the driver of a car, Manuj Kathuria — were produced in the court.

Judicial Magistrate Vinod Kumar sent them to judicial custody till August 12.

Their bail pleas will be heard on Tuesday.

Kathuria, the driver of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that drove through the street that was flooded by rainwater, causing the water to swell and breach the gates of the three-storey building and inundate the basement, was among the five accused produced in the court.

Kathuria’s counsel sought his client’s immediate release on bail on the grounds that the arrest was illegal, a copy of the FIR was not provided to his client, who had no intention or knowledge of causing death.

“The lane was open….It was a 30-foot road, the water was 2.5-foot high, the speed was just 15 km per hour, I was driving at the centre of the road. Common people have been arrested to please the media and show the students that something is happening. No government officer has been arrested. Intent and knowledge are prerequisites for an offence.

How would I know that students were present at the basement?” the lawyer asked.

“Other cars were going before me and other (vehicles) came after me. Why did the water not reach other houses? The fault lies with the institutes and (government) departments. Why were officials of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) not arrested?” he asked.

However, the court asked him to file written submissions for bail on Tuesday.

The counsel for the four co-owners of the coaching centre’s basement told the court that leasing out a building does not fix any liability for the alleged criminal offences, including causing death by negligence and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

He said the offences against the accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 102 (culpable homicide by causing the death of a person other than the person whose death was intended), 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 106 (causing death by negligence) were “not applicable” to his clients and that these provisions were “deliberately incorporated” to “bypass” the Arnesh Kumar guidelines (given by the Supreme Court in 2014) on arrest.

“None of the sections applies to the co-owners. Giving a building on lease does not fix their responsibility. The safety of the building was the sole responsibility of the lessee, who has been arrested. None of the real accused (government officials) has been arrested,” he said.

The court asked the lawyer to file written submissions.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed six additional coaching institute basements in Central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar and one in North West Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar. This move is part of a crackdown on illegally operated establishments following the tragic deaths of three civil services aspirants on Saturday, who died when a basement library at their coaching center, Rau’s IAS Study Circle, was flooded due to heavy rain.

The sealed institutes include prominent names like Drishti IAS Institute and Vaji Ram and Ravi IAS hub, among others. The MCD has also launched an anti-encroachment drive to remove structures obstructing storm drains in Old Rajinder Nagar, which contributed to recent flooding.

MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar announced that similar sealing actions will continue across the city. To date, 20 basements used for coaching or library purposes have been sealed.

In addition to the crackdown, the MCD terminated one officer and suspended another from the maintenance department for failing to address waterlogging issues. The library closures are causing significant inconvenience for students, with some struggling to retrieve study materials from the sealed centres.

Delhi LG announces Rs 10 lakh compensation for families of flood victims, promises action

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh each for the families of the three victims who died in the flooding incident in Old Rajinder Nagar.

During his visit to the coaching hub, Saxena interacted with students who were protesting over the incident. He assured that action would be taken against officials from the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), police, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) responsible for the tragedy within 24 hours.

Despite the protests and slogans such as “Go back” and “We want justice,” Saxena did not address the students directly but promised that no one responsible for the deaths would be spared. The Raj Niwas statement indicated that Saxena engaged with students, who demanded compensation, a strict action plan against safety lapses, and a safety audit of coaching institute buildings.

A Joint Task Force comprising the MCD and DFS, formed following a similar fire incident earlier this year, will survey buildings in Rajinder Nagar and other coaching hubs. This task force will seal illegal basements and structures in violation of building codes and fire safety norms.

Saxena also promised to address issues of exorbitant rents and fees charged to students, with a committee set to review these grievances and establish upper limits. The MCD will also focus on comprehensive desilting of Rajinder Nagar drains and repair of hazardous overhead power cables within a week.

Delhi chief secretary ignored multiple requests on drain desilting: Saurabh Bharadwaj

Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar of neglecting multiple requests since February for a comprehensive strategy on drain desilting. Bharadwaj claimed Kumar failed to respond to several letters on the issue.

Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj criticized the lack of progress in drain desilting, attributing it to official negligence that he believes contributed to the deaths of three civil service aspirants.

Bharadwaj recounted a February 6 notice calling for a meeting to address waterlogging, which was poorly attended by senior officials. Despite issuing reminders and follow-ups, he alleged that Kumar’s responses were either delayed or unsatisfactory.

He cited an “absurd” reply from Kumar in June, claiming the chief secretary misled the High Court about the state of waterlogging and desilting efforts. Bharadwaj also noted discrepancies in reports from the Public Works Department, which indicated that drains had been cleaned, but local videos showed otherwise.

Bharadwaj demanded accountability and suggested that a contempt of court case should be filed against officials for false reporting. He criticized the central government and Kumar for their inaction and alleged corruption in the drain cleaning process.

A proposed comprehensive plan for desilting Delhi’s drains, prepared by a three-member committee including the MCD commissioner, has been pending with Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj for several months, official sources claimed on Monday. However, Bharadwaj countered that the file was approved on April 29 and will be implemented post-monsoon.

‘Sealed illegal basements, demolished encroachment over drains,’ says MCD Commissioner

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has launched a comprehensive response, Commissioner Ashwani Kumar announced.

Kumar stated that the MCD is sealing basements of coaching institutes operating illegally and demolishing encroachments on stormwater drains. These encroachments, which had completely covered the drains, contributed to severe waterlogging and hindered de-silting efforts.

In addition, action has been taken against officials responsible for managing waterlogging. The junior engineer of the Karol Bagh zone has been terminated, the assistant engineer suspended, and a show cause notice issued to the executive engineer for failing to act promptly.

Kumar also highlighted the need for a dedicated space for coaching centres to ensure they operate with proper safety measures, aiming to reduce the prevalence of illegal basement use. He emphasized that similar issues with illegal coaching centres are widespread across Delhi, and the MCD’s drive will address these concerns in other parts of the city.

These remarks were made before Kumar attended an emergency meeting led by Mayor Shelly Oberoi. Since the incident, police have arrested seven individuals, and the MCD has sealed 20 basements in Old Rajinder Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar.

No politics over students’ death at Delhi coaching centre, must fix responsibility: Education Minister Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday called for adherence to regulations by coaching institutes and warned against politicizing the deaths of three UPSC aspirants in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar due to flooding.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Pradhan termed the July 27 incident as unfortunate and emphasized that no compensation could replace the loss of the families. He stressed the need for accountability to prevent such tragedies, stating, “Negligence has happened and someone has to take responsibility.”

Pradhan highlighted that education is a shared responsibility between the Centre and states, and that coaching institutes must also follow guidelines. He noted that advisories on coaching center standards and student safety were issued by the Government of India in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2024. He criticized states for not fully implementing these advisories, which could have prevented the incident.

Addressing Rajya Sabha members’ concerns about the education system, Pradhan dismissed criticisms as “pseudo-intellectualism” and reiterated the need for effective regulation and enforcement.