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Delhi: Satya Niketan building collapsed due to ‘callous, criminal conduct’, says HC
Noting that it was ‘not an ordinary incident’, the bench said that the dreams of students who came to the national capital had been ‘shattered’.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that “callous and criminal conduct” had led to the collapse of the five-storey building in the Satya Niketan area, in which seven persons were killed, reported Bar and Bench.
“It’s not an ordinary incident of any mishap,” said a bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Kari, referring to an article in The Indian Express that detailed why five of the students who were killed had come to Delhi.
The boys – all aged between 17 years and 19 years – were natives of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. They were enrolled in colleges of Delhi University.
The High Court said that the students had Delhi “with lots of hopes and dreams”, reported Bar and Bench.
“They came from small towns,” said the bench. “All of that has been shattered by such a callous and criminal conduct on the part of...Who doesn’t know the problem of hostel in the city?”
The bench added that students were “flocking to Delhi for higher education” and this was not a new phenomenon.
“It has been happening for 20 to 25 years in the hope that they will build their career,” it remarked. “See what has happened.”
The court was hearing a public interest litigation about the collapse of the building. It listed the matter for September 25, when other cases about the incident will be heard.
The building that collapsed was reportedly 40 to 50 years old, and repair work was underway in the basement when it collapsed.
The owners allegedly knew the building could not bear the weight of four additional floors and still leased it out as paying guest accommodation, The Indian Express quoted an unidentified police officer as having alleged on Saturday.
The building’s owner, Hari Ram, his son Mahesh, his wife Urmila and labour contractor Saroj have been arrested. Sudhanshu, who ran the “Hostel Daze” paying guest accommodation in the building, has also been held.
The police are investigating whether Hostel Daze operators had conducted due diligence to ensure that the building was safe. They are also examining the rent agreement under which the accommodation was let out to the tenants.
The agreement stated that the operators would not be responsible for any “casualties or risk” to tenants.
Edited by Nachiket Deuskar.