After the tragic incident of collapse of 5-storey building in Satya Niketan, South Delhi, administrative and judicial action has intensified. Amidst the search for people under the debris, immediate steps are being taken in the matter at the legal and administrative levels. On one hand, the matter has reached Delhi High Court, while on the other hand, the police has issued a lookout notice, tightening the noose on the accused landlord. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court regarding the incident of building collapse in Satya Niketan. In the petition, a demand has been made to give compensation of Rs 1 crore each to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.
Along with this, a demand has also been made to conduct safety and structural audit of all PG and hostel buildings in Delhi. The petitioner has demanded an investigation into the security arrangements of all PG and hostel buildings to prevent such incidents in future. The case will be heard by a bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Karia. This PIL has been filed by Aniket Kumar Gupta. According to the petition, at least six people have died in the collapse of a five-storey building near the South Campus of Delhi University. In this case, FIR has also been registered against the person running the PG accommodation.
10 police teams formed in search of building owner
Delhi Police has issued a lookout circular against the main accused and building owner Hariram, who is absconding since the accident, so that he cannot escape from the country. The police have also obtained a copy of the passport of the accused. After registering the FIR, his possible hideouts are being raided continuously. Delhi Police has formed 10 different teams to arrest Hariram. These teams include local police and special staff of the district and policemen from various operation units. All the teams are being monitored by Additional DCP rank officers of the district. Police are raiding possible locations in Delhi and Haryana in search of the accused. Police say that teams at different levels are working continuously to arrest the accused.
Strict action by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, illegal fifth floor buildings will be sealed
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta once again visited the accident site at Satya Niketan this morning and took stock of the ongoing relief and rescue operations along with security arrangements on the spot. Giving strict instructions to the officials, the Chief Minister said that buildings with fifth floor constructed illegally in Delhi should be sealed immediately. Along with this, instructions have been given for intensive investigation of all the PG and multi-storey buildings present around Satya Niketan. If any violation of rules is found during the investigation, immediate sealing action will be taken against the concerned building. The Chief Minister also made it clear that strict action will be taken against any MCD officer found responsible for the accident.
LG called emergency meeting at 5 pm
In view of the seriousness of the Satya Niketan accident, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi Taranjit Singh Sandhu has called a high-level review meeting at 5 pm today. The meeting will be attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi Police Commissioner, top officials of MCD, DDA and other concerned agencies. In the meeting, important decisions are likely to be taken regarding the security arrangements of buildings in Delhi and further action against illegal PG. After the accident, the administration is increasing strictness regarding safety checks of buildings and following rules.
What is the demand of the petitioner?
The petition has demanded that the legal validity of the construction or repair work done in the Satya Niketan building and the structural strength of the building should be investigated. It should also be ascertained whether the construction was done as per the approved building plan or not. Apart from this, whether certificates related to the strength of the building were available or not, whether fire safety rules were followed or not and whether the concerned government authorities had adequately inspected the building, all these aspects have been sought to be investigated. The petitioner has demanded compensation to the families of the deceased as well as a detailed investigation into the reasons for the building collapse. It seeks to probe the role of homeowners, builders, contractors, architects, structural engineers and others involved in repair or construction work. Also, there has been a demand for investigation into the role of government officials who monitor and ensure compliance with building construction rules.
Demand for investigation in other hostel areas of Delhi also
The petitioner has demanded immediate structural safety check of all the PGs, hostels and student accommodation in Satya Niketan. Apart from this, a demand has also been made to check the safety and structural strength of other major areas of Delhi where a large number of students live in hostels or PGs.
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