Today, On 13th September, The Delhi High Court granted interim bail to four individuals accused in the death of a UPSC aspirant, on the condition that they pay Rs. 5 crore. Additionally, the Court directed the Delhi Lieutenant Governor to establish a committee, led by a retired judge, to ensure that no coaching centers operate from basements.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court granted interim bail to four individuals accused in connection with the deaths of three civil services aspirants due to the flooding of a coaching institute’s basement in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma extended bail to Parvinder Singh, Sarabjit Singh, Tajinder Singh Ajmani, and Harvinder Singh, who are co-owners of the premises, until January 30.
The court ruled that the bail is contingent upon the accused depositing Rs.5 crore with the Red Cross Society, emphasizing that their actions were “unpardonable” and driven by greed.
However, the court stipulated that the four must deposit Rs. 5 crore with the Red Cross for the bail to take effect. This unique bail condition aims to discourage others from committing similar offenses.
The court remarked,
“They knew fully well that this [running a coaching centre from the basement] can be dangerous,”
Additionally, the court requested Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) to establish a committee led by a retired High Court judge to prevent coaching centers from violating norms and operating out of basements. Justice Sharma also urged the government to consider designating specific areas in the city for such centers.
On July 25, three UPSC aspirants tragically lost their lives after becoming trapped in the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, which flooded due to heavy rain. Reports indicated that the basement quickly filled with 10-12 feet of water, giving the students no opportunity to escape.
The victims identified as 25-year-olds Tania Soni and Shreya Yadav, and 28-year-old Navin Delvin.
The trial court had earlier denied bail to the four accused, emphasizing that their responsibility stemmed from the “illegal act” of using the basement as a coaching center. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is handling the case, the basement had been designated solely for storage but was being used for educational purposes, with the accused fully aware of the associated risks.
In their defence, the accused claimed the event was an “act of God” and argued that the civic authorities were also responsible due to the clogged drains. They also pointed out that they were not initially named in the FIR and had fully cooperated with the investigation.
The accused represented by Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur, alongside advocates Amit Chadha, Kaushal Jeet Kait, Daksh Gupta, Jatin Yadav, Gaurav Dua, Harjas Singh, Harsh Gautam, and Vignesh.
The CBI represented by Special Public Prosecutor Rajesh Kumar and advocate Mishika Pandita. Advocates Abhijit Anand, Rochak Singla, and Sahil Rejakhan appeared on behalf of one of the victims.
The co-owners of the basement, Parvinder Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Sarbjit Singh, requested bail, arguing that they merely landlords of the basement, which had been rented out to the coaching center and, therefore, had no direct involvement in the incident.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the bail plea, asserting that the investigation was still in its early stages, and the accused should not be granted bail until independent witnesses had been examined.
The case is being investigated under the new criminal law, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), after being transferred from the Delhi Police to the CBI by order of the High Court.