Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma requested the CBI to provide a status report detailing the primary causes of the waterlogging and rainfall data from the day of the incident.
NEW DELHI: Today (12th Sept): The Delhi High Court reserved its decision on the bail applications of four co-owners of a basement linked to the deaths of three IAS aspirants in Old Rajinder Nagar. The victims drowned after the basement became heavily waterlogged.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma requested the CBI to provide a status report detailing the primary causes of the waterlogging and rainfall data from the day of the incident.
The trial court previously denied bail, stating that the co-owners were liable due to their illegal use of the basement as a coaching institute.
The co-owners’ bail plea argues that the trial court did not consider that they were not named in the FIR and that they had voluntarily cooperated with the investigation. They also contend that the principle of vicarious liability does not apply, as strict criminal liability should be attributed only to the direct perpetrator.
Earlier, the accused had claimed that the incident resulted from heavy rain, an “act of God,” and partly blamed the civic agency for a malfunctioning sewer system.
The CBI has stated that the basement was only approved for storage, not for educational use, and that the accused were aware of the risks involved.
Testimony from a Karol Bagh resident who had previously raised concerns about the basement’s use without permission was also considered. The court noted that the illegal use of the basement was directly linked to the tragic incident.
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