Published Jul 29, 2024 | 12:24 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 29, 2024 | 12:24 PM
UPSC coaching centre flooding. (X)
Delhi Police on Monday, 29 July, said it has arrested five more people including the owner of a basement in a four-storey building where three IAS aspirants died after it was flooded following heavy rains.
Among the three, one person Nevin Dalwin (29) was from Ernakulam district in Kerala and one person Tania Soni (21), was from Secunderabad in Telangana. The third person is identified as Shreya Yadav (22) of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.
With these arrests, the total number of people arrested in the case so far has gone to seven.
The owner and the coordinator of the Rau’s IAS Study Circle in the Old Rajinder Nagar area, in Delhi, have already been arrested, and booked for culpable homicide and other charges.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said each floor of the building is owned by a different person.
“Five more persons have been arrested in connection with the flooding case in Rajinder Nagar. This includes the owner of the basement and an individual who drove a vehicle which appears to have damaged the gate of the building (leading to water gushing in the basement),” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said.
The police said the car waded through the rainwater due to which the water flow increased and the door of the basement got knocked down.
The police are committed to ensuring strict action against all those responsible, the officer said.
Meanwhile, Rau’s coaching centre in a press release expressed condolences for the deceased students, and assured complete cooperation to the police, in their ongoing investigation.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of these promising young individuals who were preparing to serve our nation with dedication and commitment. This tragedy has touched us all, and we recognize the profound impact it has had on their families, friends, and the broader community,” the release read.
On the ongoing investigation, the coaching centre said, “We are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities and agencies to ensure that all necessary information is provided and that the investigation proceeds with the utmost diligence. We are dedicated to assisting in any way possible to uncover the truth and ensure accountability.”
Following the incident, Students held a protest and raised slogans against authorities outside the coaching centre over the deaths in the basement, which according to a preliminary probe houses a library.
According to the Delhi Fire Department (DFS), a call about waterlogging was received from Rau’s IAS Study Circle at around 7 pm on Saturday, 27 July, and there was a possibility that some people were trapped.
Police said it appeared that the basement got flooded very fast due to which some people were trapped inside.
A fire department official said that a total of five tenders were rushed to the site. The basement was full of water when they arrived.
(With PTI inputs)
