Five more individuals, including a driver accused of damaging a gate and causing water to flood a basement, were arrested on Monday in connection with the drowning deaths of three IAS aspirants at Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajender Nagar. This brings the total number of arrests to seven. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday evening when heavy rains led to flooding in the basement, which was being used as a library against the regulations of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS).
“Whoever is at fault in this incident will not be spared. We are taking strict action against those responsible for the incident and maintaining law and order in the area,” said DCP M Harshavardhan.
The Delhi Police is also set to issue a notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and summon its officials to join the ongoing investigation. Currently, the police are scrutinizing the documentation of various coaching centres in the area.
In response to the incident, the MCD has sealed 13 coaching centres in Old Rajender Nagar for operating illegally. Among those sealed is Rau’s IAS Study Circle, the site of the incident. The basement, which should have been used for storage, was being improperly utilized as a library.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducted a seven-hour rescue operation and recovered the bodies of Shreya Yadav from Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the coaching centre expressed its deep sadness over the deaths and pledged full cooperation with the investigation. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of promising young individuals who were preparing to serve the nation,” the statement read.
The owner of the coaching centre, Abhishek Gupta, and the coordinator, Deshpal Singh, have been arrested and charged with culpable homicide among other offenses. Both have been placed in 14-day judicial custody.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena expressed his grief over the incident, highlighting it as a case of criminal neglect and poor maintenance by relevant agencies and departments. He has requested a comprehensive report from the divisional commissioner by July 30.
