The death of three civil service aspirants due to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching centre at Rajendra Nagar has sparked a massive protest by students. Paramilitary forces have been called in to keep the situation under control as the students accuse municipal authorities of negligence.
The tragic incident occurred at a building in Rajendra Nagar that houses a branch of Rau's IAS Study Circle, a prominent coaching institute for civil service aspirants. The institute's library was in the basement of the building, and there was only one entry-exit. This basement was flooded following a downpour yesterday. At the time, there were at least 20 students in the library.
The access to the basement was regulated by biometric authentication. When the basement was flooded, the power supply was disrupted and the biometric system stopped working, trapping the students in the library as water gushed in.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harshavardhan said a criminal case has been registered in this connection. "Our forensic teams are here. We are committed to a proper investigation and finding the truth. Two people have been detained," he said.
"NDRF has recovered three bodies till now. One final round of search is on. Three students have been sent to hospital and 13-14 others were rescued and are fine," he said. Multiple charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence, have been invoked.
The protesting students, meanwhile, have hit out at civic authorities. "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 alleged that the "main culprits" are MCD and the institute's director. "MCD calls it a disaster, but I say this is negligence. Knee-deep water gathers in half an hour of rain," a student told news agency ANI.
The three victims have been identified as Tania Soni, Shreya Yadav, both 25, and Navin Delvin, 28.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has termed the incident "very shocking" and said it requires a "thorough investigation" and "swift and strongest possible action".
She has ordered action against all coaching centres under MCD that are running commercial activities in basements in violation of laws. She has also ordered an inquiry to identify if any officer of MCD is responsible for the Rajendra Nagar incident.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the BJP has launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi that also controls the MCD. "This is a failure of the government and municipal corporation. This is the most insensitive government ever in this country. This is murder," BJP spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa told NDTV.
The BJP has targeted Delhi Minister Atishi and local MLA Durgesh Pathak. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva alleged that Mr Pathak ignored repeated appeals by local residents to get drains cleaned.
"Delhi Government's criminal negligence is responsible for this mishap. Jal Board Minister Atishi and local MLA Durgesh Pathak should take responsibility and resign," he said.
Mr Pathak has countered the BJP's attack by questioning what they did for 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 news agency ANI.
"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 said.