The Delhi High Court is set to hear a petition tomorrow that calls for the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the tragic deaths of three students who drowned in the waterlogged basement of a coaching center in Old Rajendra Nagar
The plea, submitted by advocate Rudra Vikram Singh on behalf of Kutumb, an organization dedicated to social causes in the Capital, was brought before a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
“If the Registry passes an order by 12.30, we can hear it tomorrow,” the court stated.
The petition emphasizes that negligence led to the deaths of the three young students. It argued that repeated loss of life due to the negligence of the Respondents—the Delhi Government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Delhi Development Authority—constitutes a clear violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life to citizens.
The petition also calls for an investigation into the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officers who failed to act on complaints from a student about the illegal operation of the library at the coaching center. Additionally, it seeks the establishment of a district-level committee in each district of Delhi to identify and address illegal commercial construction within their respective areas.
The incident occurred around 6:35 PM on Saturday when rainwater flooded the basement of the coaching center. Police and fire department officials received a call at approximately 7:10 PM. Water was quickly pumped out of the basement, but a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was summoned as divers were needed to reach the trapped students. According to the building plan submitted for the no-objection certificate (NOC), the basement was designated for parking and storage but was being used as a library.
(With inputs from agency)
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