Students in the Old Rajinder Nagar area held a candle march on Saturday, demanding justice for three students who lost their lives after the basement of their coaching centre flooded due to recent rains. The protests, which began on July 27, have entered their seventh day.
The victims, Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Delwin from Kerala, were trapped in the basement of a coaching institute after heavy rainfall caused waterlogging and flooding. The basement, which was illegally used as a library, had also trapped 17 other students for several hours, highlighting serious safety violations. The space is officially designated only for parking and storage.
On Friday, the Delhi High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation. On July 31, the court also summoned the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), and the investigating officer (IO) for the next hearing. The court criticised the "freebie culture," noting that the city's government was left with insufficient funds to upgrade infrastructure.
Earlier this week, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) established a committee to investigate the incident. The committee, comprising the Additional Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs, Delhi's Principal Secretary for Home, the Special Commissioner of Delhi Police, the Fire Advisor, and the Joint Secretary of MHA, is expected to submit its report within 30 days.