Manuj Kathuria, the SUV driver involved in the tragic incident that led to the deaths of three UPSC aspirants at Rau’s IAS coaching centre, was released from Tihar Jail on Friday. This came after he was granted bail by Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court on Thursday, as reported by news agency ANI.
The incident occurred on July 27, when three UPSC candidates drowned in the basement library of Rau’s coaching centre after rainwater flooded the institute’s basement in Old Rajinder Nagar. The Delhi Police have arrested seven individuals in connection with the incident, including Rau’s CEO, Abhishek Gupta, and coordinator, Deshpal Singh.
In response to the tragedy, Rau’s IAS Study Circle announced a compensation of ₹50 lakh for the families of each of the three deceased students. The institute’s advocate, Mohit Saraf, stated that half of the compensation amount would be given immediately, with the remaining portion to be disbursed within six months or upon the release of the CEO, whichever is earlier.
Despite the compensation offer, civil service aspirants have been protesting for six days, deeming the compensation inadequate and accusing the institute of trying to downplay the severity of the issue.
High Court’s Criticism of the Police Investigation
The Delhi High Court criticized the police’s handling of the investigation. During a hearing of a PIL requesting a thorough investigation, the high court expressed its disapproval of the police’s actions.
The high court questioned the logic behind arresting the driver, Manuj Kathuria, for merely driving his car through a flooded road, which led to water entering the building. The court criticized the police for failing to question officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi or seize relevant documents from the civic body, which could have been crucial evidence.
The bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela transferred the probe into the drowning of the three aspirants to the CBI to ensure a transparent investigation and maintain public trust.
The court remarked, “The way the police were proceeding in the matter, it could have ‘fined the water, saying ‘how dare it enter the coaching centre’s basement.’”