NEW DELHI: The Tis Hazari court has dismissed the bail pleas of the co-owners of a basement in Old Rajendra Nagar where three civil services aspirants died due to flooding on July 27. The Delhi high court has transferred the investigation to the CBI, and the accused have been given the liberty to approach the competent court.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Rakesh Kumar, after reviewing submissions by the Delhi police, rejected the bail applications of Harvinder, Tejinder, Parvinder, and Sarabjeet.The judge ruled that they may seek bail from the appropriate court following the investigation transfer.
Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastav represented the Delhi police and informed the court about the investigation’s transfer to the CBI by the high court the previous day. Defense counsel Amit Chaddha, along with colleagues Kaushal Jeet Kait, Daksh Gupta, and Jatin Gupta, appeared on behalf of the accused.
“There is no Regular Case (RC) by the CBI till date. Can an accused be left remediless?” asked defense counsel Chaddha.
ASJ Rakesh Kumar stated that he could not hear the bail applications under the current circumstances due to the case being transferred to the CBI.
“Better you (defense counsel) withdraw the application,” said the ASJ.
Defense counsel Chaddha then requested interim bail for the accused.
The ASG responded, “When I cannot hear the application, then how can I grant relief?”
Subsequently, the defense counsel requested the court grant liberty to approach the competent court.
The Delhi police have charged the co-owners with culpable homicide and other offenses.
The incident occurred on the night of July 27 in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajendra Nagar, central Delhi, when heavy rains caused flooding, leading to the deaths of three civil services aspirants.
On the preceding Friday, the Delhi high court transferred the case to the CBI due to the seriousness of the incidents and potential corruption by public officials. The high court directed the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to appoint a senior officer to oversee the CBI probe.
The high court also criticized the Delhi police for their lack of initiative in summoning MCD officials for questioning. The police were reproached for not investigating the source of the water that flooded the basement and instead arresting a driver, which indicated a lack of thoroughness.
The high court emphasized that water issues impact everyone, including private residences. It noted that even the Yamuna River is suffering from encroachments, pointing to a broader problem in Delhi. The court warned that water does not discriminate in its impact and stressed the severity of criminal neglect. It cautioned that if the current conditions continue, similar tragedies could reoccur every monsoon season.
Meanwhile, civil services aspirants have been protesting against the deaths of the students for seven consecutive days. The protest began on July 27, the day the three students died in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle following flooding due to rainwater.
In response to the incident, the MCD has sealed the basements of several coaching centers in the area. According to MCD officials, using basements for commercial activities violates building bye-laws.