Centre opposes Kiran Bedi's plea to join Delhi building collapse PIL

The Centre opposed Kiran Bedi's plea to join a Delhi High Court PIL on the Satya Niketan PG collapse. While the court noted her administrative experience could be useful, the Centre argued she had prejudged the case and was granted time to reply.

Centre opposes Kiran Bedi's plea to join PIL

The Centre on Thursday opposed a plea by former IPS officer and former Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi seeking to be impleaded in a Delhi High Court PIL concerning the collapse of a paying guest accommodation in Satya Niketan that claimed seven lives. Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, told a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia that he had instructions to oppose Bedi’s application. Sharma submitted that Bedi had already expressed her views on the issues involved in the matter and had, therefore, prejudged the case. He said the Centre would file a reply opposing her application. The Court granted the Centre three days to file its response.

During the hearing, the Bench observed that Bedi’s administrative experience could be useful in examining the issues arising from the incident. “She is a conscientious citizen of the country with ample experience. It is a matter of larger public interest. We can always utilise her long experience. Don’t take the matter adversarially,” the Court observed.

Details of the Public Interest Litigation

The Court, however, did not decide Bedi’s impleadment plea on Thursday. The PIL was filed by Aniket Kumar Gupta following the collapse of the PG accommodation at Satya Niketan, in which seven people died. The petition seeks Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of the victims and a structural audit of PG accommodations and hostels in Delhi.

The High Court had earlier directed the MCD to conduct an inquiry at the highest level to ascertain whether the collapsed building had been constructed with valid permission. The Court had also sought details regarding students living in PG accommodations and asked the MCD to clarify whether statutory or executive regulations govern such establishments in Delhi.

The matter is next listed for September 25.

Application alleges systemic failure and corruption

The application alleges that several PG hostels and buildings in the area are allegedly being operated by persons connected with local political representatives, their families or associates, enabling them to bypass statutory and safety requirements. It further claims that repeated incidents involving unsafe accommodations raise questions over whether local authorities were aware of such violations but failed to act, and alleges a systemic failure in regulation due to nepotism and corruption.

The applicant has therefore sought intervention in the PIL, submitting that a committee headed by a retired High Court judge, along with public-spirited persons and senior officials of the concerned authorities, should be constituted to examine the issue and submit a report to the High Court.

The application says such a mechanism is necessary to fix accountability and ensure that incidents like the Satya Niketan PG collapse, in which at least seven people died, are not repeated. (ANI)

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