Jagran Correspondent, New Delhi: The terms under which students were staying in the five-storey paying guest (PG) accommodation that collapsed in Delhi's Satya Niketan on Sunday, killing seven people, have come under intense scrutiny after a copy of the rent agreement surfaced.
A specific clause in the agreement stated that the PG authorities would not be held responsible for any casualties or risks to the tenant.
"The PG authorities are not responsible against any casualties or risk to me," it read.
This clause carries significance in the wake of the collapse, raising serious questions about landlord accountability and safety compliance in the building.
Satya Niketan Collapse: Death Toll And Rescue Operations
The death toll from the Satya Niketan building collapse rose to seven on Monday, while NDRF personnel rescued 12 people from the debris. Five injured victims are currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital, three of whom remain in critical condition.
Building Owner Arrested
Following the arrest of building owner Hariram Gupta in Bhiwadi, the Delhi Police also arrested his wife, Urmila Gupta, and son, Mahesh Gupta. While the property is registered in Urmila's name, the father and son managed its daily operations.
Within 24 hours of the incident, and on the instructions of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, five civic officials were suspended with immediate effect for negligence. This marks the first time that an entire chain of officials, from the area's Junior Engineer up to the Deputy Commissioner, has been suspended over a single incident. The suspended officers include:
- Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Southern Zone (2015-batch IAS officer on deputation)
- Ranbir Singh, Superintending Engineer (Building)
- Lalit Kumar Goyal, Executive Engineer (Building)
- Sunil Chauhan, Assistant Engineer (Building)
- Ashish Kumar, Junior Engineer (Building)
Rescue Operation Concluded
The rescue operation concluded at 4 PM on Monday after all debris was cleared, with officials confirming that no victims remain trapped. The municipal corporation has declared four adjacent structures as dilapidated, issuing notices to the owners to demolish them within three days or face demolition by the authorities.
Property Owner Arrested Via Lookout Notice
Immediately after the incident, Delhi Police issued a Lookout Circular against Gupta to prevent him from fleeing the country. Gupta had fled from his home in Sector 23 in Gurugram to Bhiwadi, where a police team arrested him on Monday afternoon.
Gupta owns multiple properties, including a hardware store and a PG in Gurugram, while his brother operates another PG facility in Satya Niketan.
ALSO READ: Satya Niketan Building Collapse Exposes Delhi’s PG Crisis, But Do Students Have Other Options?
PG Operator Sudhanshu Absconding
Police are actively conducting raids to locate Sudhanshu, the operator of the "Hostel Days" PG facility housed in the collapsed building. He is a resident of Northeast Delhi and operates multiple PGs across the national capital.
Sudhanshu leased the dilapidated property from Gupta two years ago and opened the PG accommodation after minor repairs. He remains at large.
List Of Deceased
- Abhishek (20) - Student, Sonbhadra, UP
- Yuvraj Soni (20) - Student, Durg, Chhattisgarh
- Pawan (17) - Student, Auraiya, UP
- Arpit Jahaj (19) - Student, Dewas, MP
- Akshat Singh Yadav (18) - Student, Katni, MP
- Surinder Singh (75) - Labourer
- An unidentified man