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Centre opposes Kiran Bedi's plea to join Delhi PG collapse pleas, HC says her ‘long experience’ could be useful
The bench held that Kiran Bedi’s experience as an administrator could be useful when considering the issues arising from the collapse.
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The Centre on Thursday opposed former IPS officer Kiran Bedi’s plea, which sought impleadment in petitions concerning the Satya Niketan building collapse, and requested time from the Delhi High Court to file its response.
Granting the Centre three days to file its reply, the bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia held that Bedi’s experience as an administrator could be useful when considering the issues arising from the collapse.
The bench stated, “She (Bedi) is a conscientious citizen of the country with ample experience. It is a matter of larger public interest... We can always utilise her long experience... Don’t take the matter adversarially.”
Bedi’s application requested her intervention in the case, which is scheduled for the next hearing on September 25.
In her application, Bedi submitted that through her impleadment, she wished to bring forth critical public domain disclosures that established a “nexus” between local political representatives, administrative apathy, and the rampant operation of illegal PGs owned and run by theadministrators, politicians and their associates.
Also Read: Satya Niketan PG collapse a result of 'callous, criminal' conduct: Delhi High Court
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma and standing counsel Ashish Dixit, appearing for the Central government, submitted that he had “instructions” to oppose Bedi’s impleadment. ASG Sharma submitted that Bedi had already prejudged the issues involved in the case, and sought time to file his response opposing Bedi’s application.
On September 6, a five-storey building housing a PG accommodation for Delhi University (DU) students collapsed. The incident claimed at least seven lives and injured five others.
According to police, renovation work was under way on the ground floor when the structure collapsed. The building was estimated to be 40-50 years old.
Subsequently, the owner of the property, Hariram Gupta, 81, was arrested an FIR against Hariram and unidentified people 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) was filed at South Campus police station.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collapse.
On September 7, the high court directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to conduct an inquiry at the highest executive level, calling the incident unfortunate and stating that it could have been avoided “had the authorities been alive to the statutory duty cast upon them.”
The court also directed the government to consider doubling hostel facilities for students, observing that DU colleges lacked adequate hostel accommodation for outstation students, forcing them and their parents to seek shelter in private PGs.
Two days after the incident, MCD 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.
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