Delhi HC junks Satya Niketan bldg owner plea for early hearing

The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to urgently hear a petition challenging the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) decision to demolish a building adjoining the one that collapsed in Satya Niketan, saying the civic body’s action was based on a technical assessment

The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to urgently hear a petition challenging the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) decision to demolish a building adjoining the one that collapsed in Satya Niketan, saying the civic body’s action was based on a technical assessment.

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The petitioner’s lawyer urged a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia to list the matter on Monday, claiming the demolition was carried out before all debris from the collapsed building had been cleared and that students could still have been trapped underneath.

The bench, however, refused to treat the matter as urgent, saying the petitioner had not provided any basis for the claim and that MCD’s decision to demolish the building was based on a technical assessment or audit.

“What is the source of information that there are people below the debris? How do you know? They must’ve conducted some type of technical audit before deciding to demolish the adjoining building. No, sorry. File it, it will be auto-listed tomorrow. What’s so urgent?” the bench said.

A five-storey building in Satya Niketan, which housed a paying guest accommodation known as Hostel Daze for Delhi University students, collapsed on September 6, killing at least seven people and injuring five others.

According to police, renovation work was under way on the ground floor when the structure collapsed around 1.30pm. The building was estimated to be 40-50 years old.

Investigators arrested the owner of the property, Hariram Gupta, 81, a Gurugram resident. Police registered an FIR against Gupta and unidentified others under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 290 (negligent conduct in pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings) and 125 (act endangering the life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at South Campus police station.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collapse.

Two days after the incident, MCD had started controlled demolition of the adjoining building after officials at the site declared it dangerous. Civic officials said metal jacks and support poles had to be installed to stabilise the structure and prevent it from collapsing.