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Student flagged ‘illegal basements’ month before Rau's IAS coaching centre deaths
Delhi Rau's IAS centre incident: The complaint included two reminders: one on July 15 and another on July 22, just a week before library basement flooding.
A month before the basement flooding in Delhi's Rau's IAS coaching centre that claimed lives of three civil service aspirants, a complaint had warned about illegal use of basement for library and conducting classes.
Also Follow- Delhi Rau's IAS centre flooding LIVE updates
Kishor Singh Kushwaha, a civil service aspirant, had alerted the Centre, state government, and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) about Rau's IAS Study Circle using the basement for teaching purpose, posing risks to students and staff.
ALSO READ- Video: Moment Rau's IAS faculty learned about flooding in coaching centre during live class
“A complaint was filed against Rau's IAS a month ago for operating an illegal library, but no action was taken. If action had been taken earlier, this tragedy might have been prevented,” Kishor Singh Kushwaha told IANS news agency.
Seven people have been arrested so far including the owners of the basement and the individual suspected of damaging the building's gate.
The lack of proper drainage, safety measures, and adherence to norms were cited as factors in the incident.
Delhi Police warned against spreading fake news about the incident, which “some are using to incite students”. Police urged the public not to forward unverified information and warn that legal action will be taken against those responsible for spreading such malicious messages.
What student's complaint letter against Rau's IAS said?
In his complaint letter, widely circulated on social media platforms, Kishore Singh Kushwaha said Rau's IAS was operating a classroom in the basement of their Old Rajendra Nagar location without the necessary permissions or NOC. He expressed concerns about the risks this posed to students and staff, which turned out to be true on Saturday.
ALSO READ- Rau's IAS got permission for storage, parking only, but ran library: AAP MLA
According to Kushwaha, when he reported these issues to the authorities, he was informed that “funds go to MCD commissioner”, suggesting potential corruption. He requested strict action against the coaching institutes for operating illegally and endangering students' safety. The complaint sent two reminders, one on July 15 and another on July 22, just a week before the mishap.
BJP targets AAP for mishap
The BJP has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of negligence in the Delhi Old Rajinder Nagar mishap. MP Bansuri Swaraj, who visited the site, attacked the AAP administration for ignoring resident requests to clean the drains. She called for the resignation of Jal Board minister Atishi and local MLA Durgesh Pathak, blaming them and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for the incident.
MCD crackdown on basement coaching centres
MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi has instructed the MCD commissioner to crack down on coaching centres violating building bylaws by operating in basements. She has also called for an inquiry to identify and punish any MCD officials involved in the tragedy.
Delhi Revenue Minister Atishi has directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to conduct a magisterial inquiry and submit a report within 24 hours.
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