E-Paper
Rau's IAS deaths: SUV driver Manuj Kathuria walks out of Tihar Jail after Delhi court grants bail
Rau's IAS deaths: The driver, Manuj Kathuria, was granted bail by court on Thursday, which noted that accused was “implicated in over-enthusiasm” in the case.
Manuj Kathuria, the SUV driver arrested in connection with the deaths of three UPSC aspirants at Rau’s IAS coaching centre, was released from Tihar Jail on Friday, news agency ANI reported. This followed a bail grant by Delhi's Tis Hazari Court on Thursday.
On July 27, three UPSC candidates drowned in the basement library of Rau’s coaching centre. The Delhi Police have arrested seven individuals in connection with the incident, including Rau’s CEO, Abhishek Gupta and coordinator, Deshpal Singh.
Rau's IAS Study Circle has announced a compensation of ₹50 lakh each for the families of the three UPSC aspirants who tragically drowned when rainwater flooded the institute's basement in Old Rajinder Nagar last week, according to news agency PTI.
The institute made the compensation offer on Thursday, five days following the incident.
"We are offering ₹50 lakh compensation to the family of each student who has lost their lives. Half the money will be given now. While the remaining portion will be given once Abhishek Gupta, CEO of the organisation, comes out or within six months, whichever is earlier", Rau's IAS advocate Mohit Saraf told PTI.
Meanwhile, civil service aspirants who have been protesting for the past six days over the deaths of the three students have criticised the compensation as inadequate and a tactic to downplay the issue.
What did HC say to cops over Kathuria's arrest?
On July 31, the high court criticised the police for their "strange" investigation, which led to the arrest of the car driver.
"What is Delhi Police doing? Have they lost it? What are its officials who are monitoring the probe doing? This is a cover-up or what?" the high court questioned during a hearing of a PIL requesting an investigation into the incident.
"Mercifully, you have not challaned the rainwater for entering the basement" of the coaching center, the Delhi High Court remarked on Friday, condemning the police for arresting a man who drove his car through a flooded road, which caused the water to flood into the building.
The driver, Manuj Kathuria, was granted bail by a court on Thursday, which noted that the accused was "implicated in over-enthusiasm" in the case.
On Friday, the high court reprimanded the police for failing to question any officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi or seize relevant documents from the civic body, which could have been crucial evidence.
The bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said, “The way the police were proceeding in the matter, it could have ‘fined the water, saying ‘how dare it enter the coaching centre’s basement.’”
The Delhi High Court on Friday transferred the probe into the drowning of three civil services aspirants to the CBI "to ensure the public has no doubt over the investigation".
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
