The Delhi High Court on Thursday has requested a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation regarding bail petitions from four co-owners of a basement coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar, where three IAS aspirants drowned on July 27, 2024.
The trial court had recently denied bail, stating that the co-owners were liable due to their illegal operation of the basement as a coaching institute. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma’s bench, which described the case as “very unfortunate,” has directed the CBI to provide concrete evidence. The case is set for further hearing on September 11, 2024.
The co-owners’ bail plea argues that the trial court overlooked the fact that they were not named in the FIR. They also claim they voluntarily reported to the police and cooperated with the investigation, demonstrating their good faith.
Additionally, the plea challenges the trial court’s application of vicarious liability, asserting that such liability does not extend to individuals not directly involved in the criminal act.
In their previous bail application, the co-owners contended that the drowning was caused by heavy rain, which they described as an “act of God,” and partly blamed the civic agency for the faulty sewer system in the area.
The CBI has asserted that the basement was designated solely for storage, not for educational purposes, and that the co-owners were aware of the risks of operating a coaching centre in that space. The court also reviewed testimony from a Karol Bagh resident who had warned about the potential dangers of running a classroom in the basement without permission a month before the incident.
The court noted that the accused were aware that their illegal use of the basement posed a danger to lives and was directly linked to the tragic event.
