Delhi coaching centre deaths: incident was an act of god, basement co-owners tell court
New Delhi
The four owners of the coaching centre in whose basement three civil service aspirants drowned last month told a court here on Friday that the incident was an “act of God”.
The accused, Parvinder Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Sarbjit Singh, who were arrested by the Delhi Police, made the submission in the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna, who was hearing their bail plea in the case.
They also claimed that the incident could have been averted “had civic agencies performed their duties”.
The counsel of the accused submitted that the basement which was flooded following heavy rainfall on July 27 was not a library as reported, but a waiting area for students. “The lease deed does not talk about a library, but says it was to be used for coaching purposes,” he submitted in court.
The counsel added that a report filed by the fire department following an inspection carried out by it a few days before the incident had confirmed that the building was safe, and that the basement was being used for storage purposes.
He also submitted that his clients had “no intention” of murder, and hence, to invoke sections pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder was “unjust”. He added that his clients had cooperated throughout the investigation.
“It was an act of god,” the counsel told the judge, adding that the civic agencies “miserably failed” to perform their duties to prevent flooding in the Capital.
The court has listed the matter for further hearing for August 12.
The Delhi High Court had recently transferred the probe into the deaths in the basement of the coaching centre building in Old Rajinder Nagar from the police to the Central Bureau of Investigation “to ensure the public has no doubt over the investigation.”
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