New Delhi: A PIL seeking direction to constitute a High-Level Committee to probe death of 3 UPSC aspirants in Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar due to flooding of the coaching centre’s basement was filed in Delhi High Court on Monday.
Delhi Fire Department has also started the process of cancelling the NOC of the building in which Rau IAS coaching—where the three civil service aspirants were drowned— was functioning.
Lt Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena, assured protesting students that strict action would be taken against those responsible for the deaths. The incident, which has also triggered separate protests and political blame game by AAP and BJP, happened around 6.35 pm on Saturday.
While AAP leaders and workers protested outside the Lt Governor’s Secretariat, demanding action against the MCD Commissioner and officers, BJP workers were up in arms against the AAP government and raised slogans calling for the AAP government’s downfall. The Delhi Police, reportedly, resorted to using water cannons to disperse BJP workers and leaders from the protest site.
BJP councillors stood on tables and held placards in MCD House to protest against the deaths.
#WATCH | Delhi: AAP leaders and workers protest outside LG Secretariat, demanding action against MCD Commissioner and officers over the Old Rajinder Nagar incident. pic.twitter.com/cojKFBWcZe
— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2024
MCD takes action against officials
The service of a junior engineer was terminated and an assistant engineer was suspended in connection to the deaths, reports quoted MCD Commissioner, Ashwani Kumar as saying.
Action was also taken against the officials of the maintenance department for the Karol Bagh Zone.
MCD mayor Shelly Oberoi has called an emergency meeting at 3 pm in this regard.
BJP MP brings up the issue in Lok Sabha
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj brings up the issue in Lok Sabha on Monday. “…Those students were in Delhi for the preparation of IAS examinations, but sadly I have to say that due to criminal negligence of Delhi govt, those students have lost their lives. The cause of death of these three students is the utter and absolute apathy of the Aam Aadmi Party ruling dispensation in Delhi… For a decade, AAP has been enjoying power in Delhi, but not doing work for the people of Delhi. MCD has been under AAP for the last 2 years and Delhi Jal Board is also under them. The residents of Old Rajinder Nagar were continuously complaining to the local MLA, Councillor and officers – the MLA kept doing satire but didn’t take any action. I request the Home Ministry to form a committee to investigate the matter..,” she had stated.
UNBELIEVABLE. One IAS aspirant dead and 2 others still missing after basement of IAS coaching centre in Delhi’s Karol Bagh floods with after heavy rainfall. pic.twitter.com/LLiuOckPTN
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) July 27, 2024
What happened at the coaching centre?
Rainwater had filled the basement of the Rau’s IAS coaching centre, which had reportedly 3o students at that time. While 12 to 14 were rescued and rushed to hospital, others managed to escape. But, three students were trapped and died in the flooded basement. Water was pumped out from the basement. An NDRF team had to be called to rescue the students.
Later, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had sealed the basements of 13 other civil service coaching centres in Delhi after the tragic incident. The crackdown came after mounting pressure from students protesting against illegally used basements.
According to reports, the basement of this coaching centre, had been marked as a parking and storage area as per the building plan. However, it was allegedly being used as a library.
