IAS coaching centre deaths: Delhi HC grants interim bail to 4 co-owners till Jan 30 on Rs 5 cr deposit

The Delhi High Court today granted interim bail till January 30 to four co-owners of basement of a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar area– Rau's IAS, where three civil services aspirants died on July 27 after drowning.

The Delhi High Court on Friday granted interim bail to four co-owners of a basement of a coaching centre- Rau's IAS linked to the tragic deaths of three IAS aspirants in Old Rajinder Nagar. The bail will be in effect until January 30, 2024. The three civil services aspirants had died on July 27 after drowning.

The court has requested the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi to form a committee, which will operate under the supervision of a retired High Court judge, to ensure that no coaching centers are run in basements across Delhi. Additionally, the court directed the four co-owners of the basement to deposit Rs 5 crore to the Red Cross Society.

According to Live Law, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said the interim relief is subject to petitioners- Parvinder Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh and Sarbjit Singh- depositing Rs 5 crore with Red Cross Society, which will be utilised by the LG to streamline the running of coaching centres. The petitioners are also required to furnish two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each.

Justice Sharma further asked the government to carve out a "specified place" for running of coaching centres.

"Whatever the petitioners did is unpardonable. It is an act of greed. They let out the basement knowing fully well...but I have also taken into account the aspect of personal liberty and admitted them to interim bail till 30 January," the Judge said while pronouncing the order.

The case is launched under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and the probe is being conducted by the CBI.

The institute was allegedly illegally running a library in the basement, where students got stuck in the flood.

Yesterday, the counsel appearing for the co-owners had informed the court that as per MCD Commissioner's own admission, storm water drain on side of the road where the building is located was dysfunctional on the day of mishap.

However, the counsel appearing for kin of one of the deceased students had submitted that petitioners may not be granted bail until the investigation is completed. He added the coaching centre was being run in violation of the building bye laws, and that it was "in the knowledge" of the petitioners that "flooding takes place on the road" after it rains and it will go into basement.