HighLights
  1. The owner of the ill-fated building has been arrested by the Delhi Police from Rajasthan's Bhiwadi.
  2. The Delhi government has also suspended five top officials of the MCD after the building collapse.
  3. A total of 13 people have been rescued from the debris, seven of whom have died so far.

Satya Niketan Building Collapse LIVE Updates: The Delhi High Court on Monday came down heavily on the civic authorities, calling the incident "most unfortunate". The court said that not only the building owners, but the Municipal Corporation and Delhi University are also responsible for the building collapse in Satya Niketan, which has claimed seven lives so far. 

The court said that DU has failed to provide adequate housing facilities to outstation students, who are forced to take shelter in private paying guest (PG) accommodation. The court also ordered an audit of all PGs and hotel facilities across the city within a week. 

This came after the Delhi government suspended five top officials of the Municipal Corporation, including the South Zone Deputy Commissioner, Rakesh Kumar. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also ordered the sealing of all illegal buildings across the city with five floors.

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The Delhi Police has also apprehended the building owner, Hariram Gupta, from Rajasthan's Bhiwadi. The Delhi police had formed 10 teams to nab the building owner, who was at large since the incident took place. According to the officials, the search and rescue operations have concluded, with the death toll at 7.

Satya Niketan Building Collapse Live Updates:

- Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Monday asked college principals to review residential facilities for students and expedite ongoing hostel projects. Singh convened a meeting of college principals to discuss the incident. The VC said the loss of students' lives was a "massive blow" to the university and assured the affected families that the university stood ready to provide all possible assistance. He urged principals to explore the feasibility of constructing new hostels, assess available space and government schemes and prepare plans wherever possible.

- The Delhi Police has arrested building owner Hariram Gupta, his wife Urmila and their son Mahesh. Urmila was found to be the owner of the PG, which collapsed on Sunday. Gupta's son, Mahesh, was found to be operating the PG. 

- Search and rescue operations at the building collapse site have been concluded, with officials saying that all have been evacuated from under the debris. A total of seven people have lost their lives, while six are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. 

- Delhi LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu has called a high-level meeting in view of the building collapse incident in Delhi's Satya Niketan. CM Rekha Gupta, NDRF chief Piyush Anand, Delhi Police Commissioner, Education Secretary, Delhi University Vice-Chancellor, and MCD Commissioner are attending the meet at the LG Secretariat.

- Delhi High Court orally remarked that some PG owners recklessly carry out unauthorised construction. The court said there must be a proper regulatory mechanism to govern PGs and private hostels. The court directed the relevant authorities to file affidavits within 10 days. The court said that it was observed that buildings permitted for two floors are sometimes extended to six floors without changing the foundation.

- Expressing deep concern over the safety and security of students living in private paying guest accommodations and hostels, the Delhi High Court observed that responsibility for incidents involving unsafe buildings cannot be placed solely on their owners and that the concerned authorities must also be held accountable for discharging their statutory duties and directed the MCD to conduct an audit of PGs and hostels within one week.

- The court observed that had the authorities properly discharged their statutory duties, such incidents may have been avoided. It asked the MCD to explain whether any regulatory framework exists for PG accommodations. The court also directed the DU administration to provide details of outstation students and available hostel facilities.

- Delhi Fire Services Chief AK Malik said that at least 13 have been rescued from the debris and six people are receiving treatment, while seven have died.  

- CM Rekha Gupta was also seen reprimanding the civic officials present at the incident site in Satya Niketan. The video, now viral on social media, showed Rekha Gupta questioning the officials about the funds and responsibilities. 

 
 
 
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- Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday reached the incident site in Satya Niketan to oversee the rescue and search operations. She said that almost 80% of the debris has been cleared from the site. The chief minister has also ordered the sealing of all buildings in the city which have five floors.

"Strict action will be taken against MCD officials found responsible. Instructions have been issued to immediately seal buildings in Delhi having a fifth floor," she said.

- In a big breakthrough, the Delhi Police has apprehended the building owner, Hariram Gupta, from Rajasthan's Bhiwadi. He had been at large since Sunday. "Hariram Gupta has been apprehended from Bhiwadi. Further examination is ongoing in connection with the case," an officer said, as quoted by PTI.

DLBuildingCollapseAccusedANI

(Image Credits: ANI) 

- The Delhi government has suspended five MCD officials following the building collapse in Satya Niketan.    

The five suspended officials are:

Rakesh Kumar - Deputy Commissioner

Ranvir Singh - Superintending Engineer

Lalit Kumar Goel - Executive Engineer (Building)

Sunil Chauhan - Assistant Engineer (Building)

Ashish Kumar - Junior Engineer (Building)

ALSO READ: Satya Niketan Building Collapse: Not NDRF Or Local Police, Blinkit Ambulance Arrived First To Rescue Trapped Victims

- The suspension order has been issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi Vigilance Department on the directions of the civic body's commissioner under the DMC Services (Control and Appeal) Regulations, 1959.

- The authorities have also placed a lock on the Hariram Paints and Hardware shop in Sector 23, owned by Hariram Gupta.

- The death toll in the Satya Niketan Building Collapse has risen to seven, with searches underway for missing persons under the rubble. 

-  To provide relief to students scared to return to their PGs, Delhi University has made alternative accommodation arrangements. Several colleges in the South Campus have opened their facilities to students in need, with arrangements being made for temporary accommodation, mattresses, food and other basic amenities. 

ALSO READ: Delhi Satya Niketan Building Collapse: Essential Safety Checks Students Must Make Before Choosing A PG

- After the Satya Niketan building collapsed, students trapped in the rubble called for help. A Blinkit ambulance was the first to arrive at the scene as rescue operations began, before the NDRF or the Delhi police. Nearby residents also joined in the rescue effort, removing heavy concrete slabs and searching for those trapped in the debris.


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