Court Criticizes Delhi Police for Not Issuing Challan in Water Contamination Case, Orders CBI Probe into Basement Deaths

It is a matter of immense relief that the police have not fined the water flowing in the drain for the demise of three civil services hopefuls who drowned in the lower level of a tutoring center in the capital, mentioned the Delhi High Court while mocking the apprehension of an SUV driver who was passing through the area.

Manuj Kathuria – who was charged with ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’ was taken into custody for driving on that waterlogged street next to a tutoring center before its lower level got flooded, leading to the deaths of three students – was granted bail yesterday.

The court stressed that the police gain admiration by apprehending the offenders and safeguarding the blameless. It cautioned that detaining the blameless while releasing the guilty would be a serious injustice.

Delhi Police expressed regret but attributed negative perception to media reports.

It also instructed the Delhi Police to present a precise explanation of the facts, mentioning that failing to do so would be unacceptable and compared it to a “fraternity” approach.

The officers were instructed to carry out the investigation in a scientific manner and advised not to yield to any external pressures.

The court questioned why the municipal officials didn’t inform the commissioner about malfunctioning storm water drains in Rajinder Nagar, stating it has “become a tradition and MCD officials are unconcerned”.

The Delhi Police has detained the proprietor and the organizer of the Rau’s IAS Study Circle and accused them of culpable homicide after three students – Shreya Yadav (25) from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin (24) from Ernakulam in Kerala – perished in its flooded lower level on Saturday night in Old Rajinder Nagar.

Authorities have indicated that the absence of a drainage system and safety precautions, as well as the utilization of the lower level for commercial activities in violation of regulations, resulted in the fatalities of three civil services hopefuls at the tutoring center.