A lawyer urged the Delhi High Court on Monday to take cognizance of the deaths of three UPSC aspirants caused by flooding in the basement of a coaching centre and to order an immediate safety audit of all such institutes and libraries in the national capital.
In a letter to the high court’s acting chief justice Manmohan, advocate Satayam Singh described the incident as “part of a larger pattern of negligence plaguing educational facilities” in areas where “countless” coaching centres operate in blatant violation of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) regulations.
“The recurring nature of these incidents points to a systemic failure in ensuring student safety. The right to education … must not come at the cost of the right to life under Article 21,” Singh stated in the letter.
“Swift and decisive judicial intervention is crucial to prevent further loss of young lives and to uphold the rule of law. I implore your lordship to take cognizance of this matter as one of utmost public importance and initiate appropriate legal action to safeguard our students’ futures,” he added.
Singh also expressed concern over the lack of fire safety measures and emergency exits, in accordance with building regulations, in the coaching centres, as well as issues of overcrowding.
The lawyer called for the mandatory installation of flood prevention measures and proper drainage, particularly for basement facilities, as well as the imposition of stringent penalties, including immediate closure and criminal proceedings, against non-compliant centres. He also requested that the acting chief justice consider suo motu action against authorities failing to enforce existing regulations.
“The eyes of anxious parents, aspiring students, and concerned citizens are upon the judiciary to protect the sanctity of educational spaces,” Singh said in the letter.
Three Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants died due to flooding in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in the central Delhi coaching hub of Old Rajinder Nagar following heavy rain last week.
The Delhi Police have arrested the owner and the coordinator of the coaching centre and charged them with culpable homicide, among other offenses.
Last year, the high court had taken suo motu cognisance of a fire at a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar, and the matter is currently pending. The police reported that around 250 students were attending classes at the building—Bhandari House—at the time of the incident. The panic-stricken students were seen climbing down from the top floor with the help of ropes as smoke billowed from the windows.
