Delhi Coaching Centre Deaths: Institute Owner, Coordinator Arrested Amid Massive Student Protests

In a tragic incident in Delhi's Old Rajender Nagar, three students drowned in the basement of a coaching center, Rau's IAS Study Circle, after it was flooded due to heavy rain.

The victims, identified as Shreya Yadav from Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala, were retrieved by disaster rescue teams after a seven-hour operation.

Photo Credit: PTI

The police have arrested the owner and coordinator of the coaching center on charges of culpable homicide and other offenses.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan stated, "NDRF's search operation has ended and three bodies have been recovered. NDRF's rescue operation went on for around seven hours." The basement, which was being used as a library against the provisions of its fire safety certificate, quickly flooded, trapping the students inside.

Massive protests erupted outside the coaching center, with students expressing their anger and sadness.

AAP MP Swati Maliwal told ANI, "The students are very sad and angry. It has been more than 12 hours, till now neither any minister of Delhi government has come, nor the mayor of MCD, nor any officer. I believe that these deaths are not a disaster, this is a murder, an FIR should be registered against all these big government officials. It is not yet known whether 3 have died or more have died. Compensation of Rs 1 crore should be given to all the students who have died... The minister, Mayor should come here immediately and apologize to them. Delhi will not run like this. I will raise this issue in Parliament. I will keep all the demands of students in Parliament... The students are saying that 12 days ago they had informed the councillor that the drain system here is bad, so the councillor and all the people above him should answer."

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has called for strict action against commercial activities being conducted in basements across the city, emphasising the need to prevent such incidents from recurring. She directed an inquiry to identify any Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officers responsible for the violation of building by-laws.

Revenue Minister Atishi has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, promising accountability for those responsible.

The Delhi BJP has blamed the AAP administration, with BJP Delhi Chief Virendra Sachdeva stating, "Delhi government's criminal negligence is responsible for this mishap. Jal Board Minister Atishi and local MLA Durgesh Pathak should take responsibility and resign."

The deceased students' bodies have been sent to the RML mortuary.