Satya Niketan building collapse has claimed seven lives, including five students. The owner has been arrested as the Delhi High Court seeks answers and authorities begin wider safety checks of student PGs.
The recent collapse of a five-story structure in the Satya Niketan area of Delhi raises issues about student accommodations, structural safety, and civic responsibility in one of the most popular centers of learning in the Indian capital city. While repairs were apparently going on at the time, the building housing a paying guest (PG) facility near the South Campus of the Delhi University collapsed, killing seven people and injuring five more. Five of the victims were students.
Following the collapse, a series of arrests, investigations and a general effort is underway for inspecting PGs and other student accommodations in Delhi.
Satya Niketan Building Owner Arrested in Rajasthan
More than 24 hours after the building collapsed, the police arrested Hariram Gupta from Bhiwadi, Rajasthan in connection with the case. His wife Urmila Gupta and son Mahesh Gupta have also been arrested.
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An investigation is underway into the history of the building, its functioning as a PG and the repair work which had begun before the collapse. In an ongoing case, a Delhi court has ordered that Hariram Gupta and Urmila Gupta be detained in judicial custody for 14 days.
Delhi High Court Demands Explanation from MCD
The Delhi High Court has issued directions to conduct an inquiry at a high level into this incident and has demanded an explanation from the MCD regarding the approvals of this building and other regulations. Also, the court has raised questions about the accountability of the civic bodies and has asked for the status of PG safety in Delhi.
This decision has been taken keeping in mind the problems faced by the students of the Delhi University due to the lack of accommodation in educational institutions and the fact that these students are dependent on private PGs.
Family of Arpit Donates His Corneas
One among the deceased is Arpit Jahaj, a student of Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College. This family, which was mourning the loss of their loved one, decided to donate his corneas.
The Police have managed to identify seven deceased victims, which include Abhishek, Yuvraj Soni, Pawan, Arpit Jahaj, Akshat Singh Yadav, Surinder Singh and an unnamed male. Five injured are receiving treatment.
PG Safety Audit Ordered for All of Delhi
As a result of this accident, efforts have been made for wider structural audits of PG clusters. In the wake of this accident, Delhi LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu asked the administration to undertake structural audit of all PG clusters, while the government has also introduced steps against unsafe and unauthorized structures.
The accident has hence become a matter of concern beyond one structure, and the safety of many students living in PGs has come into focus.
