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Delhi HC raps MCD, police on 3 IAS aspirants' deaths in Old Rajinder Nagar: ‘Mercifully you have not…’
The court reprimanded the Delhi Police for arresting the SUV driver, saying that he was merely passing by and calling the action unfair.
The Delhi High Court on Friday said it was unable to fathom how three UPSC aspirants drowned, highlighting that such incidents have become routine and that Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials seem unconcerned.
The court reprimanded public authorities for their poor performance, saying, “public authorities are not fulfilling their duties lately.”
The court also reprimanded the Delhi Police for arresting the SUV driver, saying that he was merely passing by and calling the action unfair.
“Mercifully, you have not challaned rainwater for entering into basement, the way you arrested the SUV driver for driving his car there,” said the court.
The court said that the police earn respect by apprehending the culprits and protecting the innocent. It also warned that arresting the innocent while allowing the guilty to go free would constitute a grave injustice.
It also said that accountability is crucial, regardless of one's position of power. The court inquired whether the Delhi Police had interrogated the official who approved the building plan and asked if the case diary of the investigating officer noted that the primary water drain was non-functional.
Manuj Kathuria, a 50-year-old businessman, drove his sports utility vehicle (SUV) through a rain-flooded street in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar, allegedly causing water to surge and breach the gates of the three-storey Rau’s IAS Study Circle building, flooding its basement.
The bench of acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said MCD officials are not bothered and it has become a norm. It asked why MCD officials did not inform the commissioner about non-functioning storm water drains in the area.
The Delhi Police apologised if their actions gave that impression, attributing it to media reports. The High Court then instructed the Delhi Police to conduct the investigation scientifically and advised them not to yield to external pressures.
The court was informed that the drainage system was nearly nonexistent in the area where the incident took place, with roads serving as makeshift drains.
With agencies inputs
