Home Ministry forms committee to inquire into Delhi basement drowning incident

The Union home ministry said the committee will inquire into the reasons behind the incident, fix responsibility, suggest measures and recommend policy changes

The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Monday constituted a committee to inquire into the flooding incident at a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar area, in which three civil services aspirants drowned.

Police officers outside the Rau’s IAS Study circle in Delhi on Monday. (ArvindYadav/HT Photo)

The committee, home ministry said on its X account, will inquire into the reasons, fix responsibility, suggest measures and recommend policy changes.

“The committee will have Additional Secretary, ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA), principal secretary (home) Delhi, special commissioner of police, Delhi Police, fire advisor and joint secretary as convener,” it said.

The ministry added that the committee will submit its report in 30 days.

Police on Sunday registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing death by negligence and common intention in the case and arrested Abhishek Gupta, 41, the CEO and owner of the coaching centre, and DP Singh, 60, the institute’s coordinator.

Tanya Soni, 21, Shreya Yadav, 25, and Nevin Delvin, 29, drowned when the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle coaching centre flooded following heavy rainfall.

The incident sparked a political blame game between Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which also controls the municipal corporation, and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).