New Delhi, July 28, 2024 – A tragic incident in Delhi’s Rajendra Nagar has claimed the lives of three civil service aspirants after heavy rainfall led to severe waterlogging in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, a prominent coaching institute. The incident has ignited massive protests by students, prompting the deployment of paramilitary forces to maintain order.
The basement of the coaching centre, which housed a library, was quickly inundated following a downpour yesterday. With only one entry-exit point, the situation turned dire for the approximately 20 students inside. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harshavardhan confirmed that a criminal case has been registered and two individuals have been detained in connection with the incident.
“NDRF has recovered three bodies so far. One final round of search is on. Three students have been sent to hospital and 13-14 others were rescued and are fine,” Harshavardhan stated. The charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence.
The victims have been identified as Tania Soni, 25, Shreya Yadav, 25, and Navin Delvin, 28. Protesting students have blamed municipal authorities for negligence. “If this is the situation after 30 minutes of rain, who is responsible? No one has come to talk to us or given us any assurance. Who will fix responsibility?” a protester said.
Some students accused the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the institute’s director as the “main culprits.” One student told, “MCD calls it a disaster, but I say this is negligence. Knee-deep water gathers in half an hour of rain.”
Political Reactions and Accusations
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi described the incident as “very shocking” and called for a thorough investigation and swift action. She has ordered a crackdown on all coaching centres operating illegally in basements and initiated an inquiry to identify any MCD officer responsible for the tragedy.
The incident has escalated into a political blame game, with the BJP launching a fierce attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. BJP spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa called it “murder” and the “most insensitive government ever.” Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva accused local MLA Durgesh Pathak of ignoring repeated appeals to clean the drains.
“Delhi Government’s criminal negligence is responsible for this mishap. Jal Board Minister Atishi and local MLA Durgesh Pathak should take responsibility and resign,” Sachdeva demanded.
In response, Pathak questioned the BJP’s actions over the past 15 years. “This is a low-lying area and there is a water line here. Some drain has cracked and that led to the flooding. The teams are doing their work,” he told to our reporter Dibesh. “The BJP must answer too. For the past 15 years, this area had a BJP councillor. Why was the drain not made? All drains cannot be made in one year. Politics must not be done in this case,” he added.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains on preventing such tragedies in the future and ensuring accountability for the loss of young lives.
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