NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, took suo motu cognizance of media reports stating that three students tragically drowned in the flooded basement library of a well-known civil services coaching centre in Delhi on Saturday, July 27, 2024. On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the NHRC issued notices to the Delhi Chief Secretary, the Police Commissioner, and the MCD Commissioner, requesting a detailed report on the incident within two weeks.
The NHRC has instructed that a survey be conducted to determine the number of such institutes and coaching centres operating in violation of prescribed norms in the national capital. The Commission also called for action against negligent officers who failed to address these irregularities. Expressing serious concern over the incident, the NHRC noted that the news report’s contents suggest negligence on the part of the relevant authorities.
Earlier, in a previous incident attributed to authorities’ negligence, a civil services aspirant died from electrocution while crossing a waterlogged street, prompting the NHRC to take suo motu cognizance. The Commission emphasised that the municipal corporation and law enforcement agencies cannot avoid responsibility. As a result, notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary of the Government of NCT of Delhi, the Commissioner of Police, and the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, requesting a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
The Delhi Chief Secretary has been instructed to conduct a comprehensive survey to determine the exact number of institutes and coaching centres operating in violation of prescribed norms throughout Delhi. The report should include detailed information about these institutes, any pending complaints against them, and the actions taken by the relevant department.
In a related case involving the drowning of students in the basement of Rau’s IAS coaching centre in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar, the accused was remanded to 14-day judicial custody by the Tis Hazari court on Monday. Additionally, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) established a high-level committee on Monday to investigate the flooding in the basement of the coaching institute, which resulted in the deaths of three civil service aspirants in Delhi’s old Rajinder Nagar.
The committee will investigate the circumstances of the incident, identify those responsible, and recommend measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The committee will include an Additional Secretary from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Principal Secretary (Home) of the Delhi Government, a Special Commissioner of the Delhi Police, a Fire Advisor, and a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as convenors. The committee is expected to submit its report within 30 days.
The incident, which happened on Saturday after a drain burst, resulted in the deaths of Shreya Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), Nivin Dalwin (Kerala), and Tanya Soni (Telangana) in the basement of Rau’s IAS Circle in Old Rajendra Nagar. Following the incident, the coaching centre was sealed by the police.