The Delhi High Court delivered a strong rebuke to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday over the deaths of three UPSC aspirants at a coaching center in the capital. Acting Chief Justice Manmohan declared the incident a case of “Criminal Neglect” and warned the administration of direct orders from the court if accountability is not assumed.
The court’s response follows the tragic deaths of Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nevin Dalwin from Kerala, who perished when the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle was flooded after heavy rain on Saturday evening.
Addressing the administration’s failure, the bench, which also included Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, criticized the authorities for their tendency to deflect responsibility. “There is an underlying malice on the part of the administration and all the departments are just busy passing the buck,” the Acting Chief Justice stated. He further remarked on the lack of a comprehensive drainage master plan since 1980, underscoring the disarray within civic agencies.
In a scathing observation, the court highlighted the connection between poor tax collection and infrastructure deficiencies, attributing the negligence to a culture of “freebies.” The bench remarked, “You want to have freebies culture, don’t want to collect taxes… this is bound to happen.” The court expressed frustration over the inability of civic authorities to build infrastructure or even pay salaries due to financial constraints.
The high court also called out the police for their lack of action against MCD officials, noting that only a passerby was arrested in connection with the incident. The arrest was of an SUV driver alleged to have exacerbated the flooding by breaking the gate of the coaching center.
In response to the incident, the court ordered the MCD to remove all encroachments on drains in the Rajinder Nagar area by Friday. Additionally, it mandated the presence of the investigating officer and the MCD Commissioner at the next hearing.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of UPSC aspirants met MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar at the agency’s headquarters, demanding improved safety measures at coaching centers. The students raised concerns about the risks posed by inadequate infrastructure and the need for immediate action to prevent further tragedies.
