Judicial Magistrate Vinod Kumar of Tis Hazari Courts refused bail to SUV driver Manuj Kathuria and basement owners Tejinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Sarabjeet Singh.
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NEW DELHI: A Delhi court denied bail on Wednesday (31st July) to five individuals accused in the case concerning the deaths of three civil services aspirants due to flooding in the basement of their coaching center in Rajendra Nagar.
READ ALSO: [UPSC Aspirants Death Tragedy] Court Sends Five Accused to Judicial Custody For Two Weeks
Judicial Magistrate Vinod Kumar of Tis Hazari Courts refused bail to SUV driver Manuj Kathuria and basement owners Tejinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Sarabjeet Singh.
According to a report, Kathuria’s lawyer argued that he had no connection to the incident and should not be held responsible. Kathuria was accused of driving his Force Gurkha vehicle through a rain-flooded street, causing water to swell and flood the basement of the three-story building.
Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava opposed Kathuria’s bail, arguing that his actions worsened the incident. Advocate Amit Chadha, representing the basement owners, contended that civic agencies were responsible for the incident, which he described as an act of God.
After considering the arguments, the court denied bail to all five individuals.
The Delhi High Court also questioned the Delhi Police regarding the arrest of SUV driver Kathuria, calling the investigation “strange.”
Acting Chief Justice Manmohan asked,
“What is the police doing catching a passerby driver? Have you questioned the person who has not done the desilting?”
The High Court has requested reports from the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and scheduled the case for hearing on August 2.
Background
The incident occurred when the basement of the Rau’s IAS Study Circle, which housed a library, flooded due to heavy rain after the single biometric entry and exit point failed because of the floodwater. According to eyewitnesses, the basement quickly filled with 10-12 feet of water, leaving the students trapped with no chance of escape.
Rescue operations commenced shortly after the incident was reported. The police later arrested seven individuals, with two sent to judicial custody on Sunday. The remaining five accused were produced before the court today.
Four of the accused are co-owners of the Rau’s coaching center, while the fifth is the driver of a car that allegedly drove through the flooded road, causing the water to swell and break down the gate of the coaching center, leading to the flooding of the basement.
