New Delhi, India – After the tragic incident that claimed the lives of three UPSC aspirants at a coaching center in Rajender Nagar due to waterlogging, pleas have been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking justice and accountability. One of the primary pleas, submitted by organization Kutumb through lawyer Rudra Vikram Singh, calls for the formation of a High-Level Committee to investigate the incident, examine illegal commercial constructions, and create a report on coaching institutes not complying with standard norms.
The petition, filed in the public interest under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, aims to bring to light the violation of Article 21 and investigate the events at the coaching institute in Rajender Nagar. It emphasizes the impact of corruption within the departments of the respondents, leading to various tragic incidents, with the Rajender Nagar tragedy as the latest example.
The plea targets the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Jal Board, and the Delhi Fire Service for negligence, stating that past court directives to regulate coaching centers violating safety measures have not been adequately followed. The incident recalls a fire in Mukherjee Nagar last year, where subsequent directions to crack down on unsafe centers were not adhered to, leading to the recent tragic deaths of three students trapped in the flooded basement.
Another plea from NGO Hindu Rashtriya Pravasi Manch calls for an independent inquiry to determine the responsibility of the MCD, Rao IAS Study Centre, and the Government of Delhi. They seek appropriate compensation for the victims’ families and the injured individuals. The incident on June 27 involved three IAS aspirants who lost their lives due to water accumulation in the basement of a building housing an illegally operated coaching institute. Further disclosures revealed that the institute had permission to use the basement as a store room, but was violating regulations by using it as a library, without proper drainage systems in place.
The tragic incident has sparked calls for accountability and safety enforcement in coaching centers across Delhi, shedding light on the consequences of negligence and corruption within regulatory bodies. The pleas filed in the Delhi High Court underscore the urgent need for action to prevent such avoidable tragedies in the future and ensure the safety and well-being of students and aspiring civil servants.