The Delhi High Court has refused to urgently hear a fresh petition related to the Satya Niketan building accident, observing that an interim order had already been passed in the matter on Tuesday. The court said there was no immediate need to take up the fresh plea, given that an interim order had already been issued a day earlier. The petitioner's lawyer mentioned the matter before the bench headed by the Chief Justice and sought an urgent hearing.
The lawyer told the court that the petition seeks directions to Delhi University to ensure the construction of hostels for all its colleges.
The Satya Niketan paying guest (PG) building near Delhi University's South Campus, which collapsed on Monday and left seven people dead, had been facing a persistent water seepage problem in its basement, police sources said.
Police are now looking for the labour contractor who had been carrying out repair work in the basement to address the seepage. Investigators are examining how the repair work was being conducted and whether it resulted in any structural alterations or violations that may have contributed to the collapse, the sources said.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has also intensified enforcement measures in the South Zone following the incident. According to official records dated September 7, the civic body's building department issued show-cause notices to five residential properties in Ward 160, covering areas such as Maidangarhi, Saidulajab and Neb Sarai. Demolition action was also recorded against another residential property in Saidulajab.
The decades-old Satya Niketan structure, which operated as a boys' PG, stood on an area of around 55 square metres. It comprised a basement, ground floor and four additional floors.
The building reportedly had two rooms on each floor, with two beds in each room. Police sources said the structure did not have columns and beams.
The building collapsed at around 1.30 pm on Sunday while repair work was in progress. Rescue teams pulled 12 people from the rubble, seven of whom died.
Police have arrested the three people associated with running the PG -- 81-year-old Hariram Gupta, a retired Indian Air Force sergeant, his 75-year-old wife Urmila Gupta and their 52-year-old son Mahesh Gupta.
While Hariram was initially believed to be the owner of the property, police said documents showed that Urmila was the building's owner. Hariram and Mahesh allegedly managed the PG, according to police.
The collapse has also led to action against MCD officials. South Zone Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar and four engineers — Superintending Engineer Ranvir Singh, Executive Engineer Lalit Kumar Goel, Assistant Engineer Sunil Chauhan and Junior Engineer Ashish Kumar — have been suspended.
The MCD has directed officials to inspect buildings across the national capital, with particular attention to structures suspected of violating prescribed height and floor limits.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has also instructed officials to seal all five-storey structures in Delhi.
The Delhi High Court on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry by the MCD into the incident. The court said the government could not evade responsibility and described the collapse as "most unfortunate".
Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed officials to inspect PG hubs and ensure strict enforcement of building safety norms.
