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Delhi IAS coaching centre deaths: High court slams 'freebie culture', summons MCD commissioner
Delhi IAS coaching centre deaths: Delhi high court directed civic authorities to remove all encroachments on drains in Old Rajinder Nagar area by Friday.
Delhi IAS coaching centre deaths: The Delhi high court on Wednesday hit out at Delhi government's “freebie culture” over the death of three civil services aspirants in the basement of the Rau's IAS coaching centre due to flooding in Old Rajinder Nagar on July 27. The Delhi high court also directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner, deputy commissioner of Police (DCP) and investigating officer to appear in the court on Friday, news agency PTI reported.
The Delhi high court directed authorities to remove all encroachments on drains in Centre Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area by Friday.
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The court made the observation while hearing a plea seeking constitution of a high-level committee to probe into the Rajinder Nagar incident. The matter to be heard next at 2:30pm on Friday.
Death of 3 UPSC aspirants at Delhi IAS coaching centre
The civil services aspirants – Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nevin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala – died on Saturday evening after they were trapped inside the library running in the basement of Old Rajinder Nagar-based Rau's IAS Study Circle, which was flooded due to rain.
A division bench of acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedela said because of the “freebie culture”, the government has no money to upgrade the infrastructure, particularly the city's drainage system, in face of the exploding population of the city.
'We will transfer probe to CBI if…': Delhi high court
The court said the responsibility of the investigation needs to be fixed. "If it is not then we will transfer the investigation under some central agency. We will either bring it under CVC (CBI) or Lokpal we will bring under. We will like it to be done under some statutory mechanism. It will bring a larger picture. We will pass a straight order over there. Fixing responsibility in this case. This is a serious incident. It is infrastructure breakdown at the larger level. First, it’s a case of negligence,” the bench said.
MCD commissioner asked to be present at 2:30 pm on Friday
The court sought for personal presence of the investigating officer, concerned DCP and MCD commissioner with all the relevant files on Friday at 2:30pm.
Calling the incident as a “case of criminal neglect”, the court said the manner in which the probe is being carried out is “strange” as actions are being taken against “passerby” but the MCD officials have not been hauled up.
“Delhi police has arrested the by stander. A driver, it seems that someone has lost it. The police officer who are investigating the same, what are they doing? Only one MCD official has gone to jail. Someone needs to be held accountable at the end of the day. You (MCD) need to fix responsibility," the court said.
'MCD, Civic authorities are bankrupt': Delhi HC
The Delhi high court also expressed displeasure over the failure of the civic authorities, including MCD, to ramp up the century-old infrastructure. The court said that the physical, financial and administrative infrastructure is not at par with the present days need and there is a major disconnect.
“You have liberalised the laws but you have not modified the infrastructure. Why was this century-old infra not upgraded in the first instance when you are liberalising the byelaws? Civic authorities are bankrupt…. There is malice over here. You are not spending money on the infrastructure. How do you plan to govern the city . Look at your administrative infra. Buildings are getting sealed with a thread and while they are sealed, six-storey buildings are being constructed,” the bench added.
