New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, said that it may examine building safety and construction violations across the country following the Satya Niketan PG building collapse incident, which claimed seven lives.
The bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R Mahadevan stated it was considering taking up the issue on a pan-India basis and may transfer the PIL pending before the Delhi High Court to itself.
“We already have something in mind. It has to be on a pan-India basis. We may get it (petition before Delhi High Court) transferred here. We will take it day after tomorrow,” the Court said, as reported by Bar and Bench.
The matter was brought before the bench by Court-appointed amicus curiae and senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, who sought urgent directions for safety inspections and structural audits of PG accommodations, hostels and other student housing facilities in Delhi.
“In view of the recent tragic incident, it is a very serious issue. We have inspected, completed and the last inspection is today at 2:30pm,” Sinha told the Court.
The possibility of transferring the Delhi High Court proceedings was backed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who described the collapse as a “horrific incident” and pointing to the PIL already pending there.
The Satya Niketan building, which was being operated as a boys’ PG near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed on September 6 while repair work was reportedly underway.
The Supreme Court had earlier raised concerns over unsafe and unauthorised structures in Delhi-NCR following the Saket building collapse and Malviya Nagar hotel fire. It had ordered time-bound surveys and warned that officials could face personal accountability for failing to address violations, as reported by News18.
While hearing the PIL on the matter, the Delhi High Court had separately ordered the MCD to conduct a high-level inquiry into the Satya Niketan collapse, including verification of construction permissions and identification of officials responsible for lapses. It had also flagged the proliferation of unsafe PGs and inadequate hostel facilities for students.
The PIL is now likely to be transferred to the Supreme Court, following which it may order checks on all structures occupied by students.