LIVE | Coaching centre deaths: Delhi police form multiple probe teams
Congress calls for fixing accountability
The Congress on Sunday called for fixing accountability over the death of three IAS aspirants due to waterlogging in a building in Delhi with Rahul Gandhi asserting that common people are paying the price for irresponsibility of institutions at every level.
The three civil services aspirants died after the basement of the building housing a coaching centre in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area was flooded following heavy rain.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said it is very sad that three youths lost their lives due to waterlogging in the basement of an IAS coaching centre in the capital due to the "criminal negligence of the government and administration".
"According to reports, eight people have lost their lives due to electric shock in the last few days. The Congress had made Delhi an international city. Today, the capital of India is suffering from indifference. Accidents keep happening every day," the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X.
Such an accident in the country's capital is a matter of great concern for all of us, Kharge said.
"We have to make our capital better so that our citizens remain safe and those who live and come here have the confidence that they will not be neglected in the country's capital," he said.
In a post in Hindi on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "The death of students preparing for competitive exams due to waterlogging in the basement of a building in Delhi is very unfortunate. A few days ago, a student died due to electric shock during the rains." He expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
"This collapse of infrastructure is a combined failure of the system. The common citizen is paying the price of unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level by losing his life," the former Congress chief said.
A safe and comfortable life is the right of every citizen and the responsibility of governments, he asserted.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "The incident of the death of three students due to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching institute in Delhi is heartbreaking. I pray to God for the departed souls and the bereaved families." Recently, a student died due to electric shock in Patel Nagar, she said in a post on X in Hindi.
"It is the height of negligence and mismanagement that the lives of children who come here from far-off places to fulfil their dreams are being snatched away from them," she said.
"This is criminal and irresponsible. Accountability for this should be fixed and most importantly, every construction, every activity that is illegal and life-threatening should be rectified in the areas where students preparing for competitive exams live," she added.
Students demand accountability, voice safety concerns
The death of three civil services aspirants at a coaching institute here have sparked outrage among students and demand for accountability from the Delhi government.
Students of Rao's IAS Study Circle and other institutes have expressed voiced their anger over the incident, highlighted safety violations at coaching centres across the city, and raised questions over the "negligence" of the Delhi government.
Students held a protest and raised slogans against authorities outside the coaching centre over the deaths in the basement, which according to preliminary probe houses a library.
"The biggest responsibility of the incident lies with Rao IAS Study Circle as the incident took place there," a student, who did not wish to be named, said. He said Delhi authorities showed "negligence" when there were similar incidents in Mukherjee Nagar and did not take any strict action even then. He also highlighted last week's incident in Patel Nagar, where a civil services aspirant got electrocuted in a waterlogged street following heavy rain in the national capital.
Another student highlighted the safety concerns at the city's coaching centres. "There is a systemic problem in these coaching centres with a lack of interest in safety measures," she said. "There are no fire exits or emergency exits. Those with a bright future are at risk. We want to serve the nation by joining the bureaucracy, and if the system doesn't work for us, we will lose faith in it," the civil services aspirant said, as she urged locals and fellow students to join the cause.
Delhi police form teams to probe coaching centre flooding incident
The Delhi police have registered an FIR and formed multiple teams to probe the Rajinder Nagar coaching centre flooding incident which killed three IAS aspirants, officials said on Sunday.
The police have arrested the owner and the coordinator of the Rau's IAS Study Circle and booked them for culpable homicide and under other charges.
"Multiple teams have been formed to investigate the entire incident. We have asked the Delhi Fire Services to provide us report about the building and the basement which was being used as a library but mentioned as 'store room'," a senior police officer said.
The officer further said the basement was eight-feet below the ground level and more than 18 students were present in it on Saturday evening when it got flooded after heavy rains.
According to sources in the police department, the gate of the basement was closed, but due to high pressure of rain water, it got damaged and water gushed in. "We are checking CCTV footage from the area to ascertain the sequence of the events. After scanning the CCTV footage, we will identify the people who were standing close to the Institute during the time of incident and will record their statements," said the officer.
Reddy condoles Hyderabad student's death in Delhi coaching centre
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Sunday expressed his condolences on the death of a civil services aspirant from Secunderabad here due to flooding in the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi.
The Union Coal and Mines Minister, who represents Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, in a post on 'X' said he spoke to Tania Soni's father Vijay Kumar and extended his support and prayers to the family.
"Saddened by the tragic demise of Ms. Tania Soni, a resident of Secunderabad who lost her life in the flooding at an IAS coaching center in Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi. Personally spoke to her father, Shri Vijay Kumar, and expressed my deepest condolences," Reddy said.
The Union Minister further said his office in Delhi is in contact with the police and other officials to ensure all necessary formalities are completed swiftly. "In this time of immense sorrow, I extend my support and prayers to her family. Om Shanti," Reddy, who is also Telangana state BJP president, said.