Satya Niketan PG Collapse: Delhi High Court Refuses To Urgently List PIL Seeking Hostel Facilities In All Delhi University Colleges
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to urgently list a public interest litigation seeking hostel facilities in all the colleges being run by the Delhi University in the national capital.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said that such a direction cannot be issued in the interim, and said that the matter will be auto-listed.
A lawyer mentioned the PIL for urgent listing for today, citing that it is being filed in the wake of an incident wherein a five-storeyed PG or hostel building collapsed at city's Satya Niketan area on Sunday.
The collapse has reportedly resulted in multiple deaths and injuries to students.
The Court informed the counsel that it has already heard and passed an order in another PIL yesterday on the same issue.
The lawyer responded that the other PIL seeks different relief such as compensation whereas his plea seeks a direction that every college must have hostel facilities for the students.
Questioning the request, the Court remarked:
“Can we issue such a direction in the interim?…. File it. It will be taken up tomorrow. Why unnecessary you waste your own time? Can such a direction be issued in interim?”
Last night, building owner Hariram Gupta and his wife have been remanded to judicial custody whereas their son has been sent to two days of police custody.
As per Delhi Police, the electricity connection was in Hariram's name. It has been alleged that Mahesh was handling the management work and the property, on paper, was in the name of Hariram's wife, Urmila.
The building, which housed a boys' paying guest accommodation near Delhi University's South Campus, collapsed around 1.30 pm while repair work was underway at its basement. Locals alleged the basement was waterlogged that could have weakened the structure.
The Delhi Police has registered a case against the three at the South Campus Police Station. They have been booked on charges including culpable homicide, negligence in the upkeep of a structure and endangering the safety of others.
The High Court yesterday asked the authorities to double their efforts to save the lives of students affected by the collapse.
It has directed the MCD to take up the issue at its highest executive level and get an enquiry conducted as to whether the buildings which collapsed were constructed under valid permission or not.
The High Court has also said that if it is found that the construction was not done under valid permission, MCD shall fix responsibility of the erring official or employees for the lapse.