CBI takes over Three UPSC Aspirants’ Death Investigation

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday took over the Delhi coaching center deaths case, in which three UPSC aspirants drowned in the basement in Old Rajinder Nagar, officials said.

A senior CBI official informed that the agency has taken over the case by registering an FIR into the matter and all documents about the investigation have been handed over by Delhi Police to CBI.

“After the initial formalities, the CBI team will soon be visiting the spot where the incident took place for a detailed investigation into the matter,” the official said.

On Aug 2, the Delhi High Court transferred the investigation to the CBI. The court was unsatisfied with the investigation done by Delhi Police in the case.

Earlier on Wednesday, Rouse Avenue Court Delhi issued notice to CBI after hearing the bail pleas of four co-owners of the basement. Principal District and Session judge Anuj Bajaj Chandana issued notice to CBI after noticing that the process of transfer of the case, as instructed by the High Court, was not completed, and called for a status report from the CBI.

The accused have been booked Under sections 105,106(1), 115(2), 290, 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 in an FIR registered at Police station Rajinder Nagar on July 27. The accused were arrested on July 28.

On August 5, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance on the issue related to safety norms in the coaching centres. A bench of justices, Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, observed that such institutes have become “death chambers” as the top court was hearing the petition filed by the Coaching Federation of India.

The court took note of the recent incident in the Old Rajinder Nagar in Delhi and orally said, “These places (coaching centres) have become death chambers. You are taking away the lives of young ones coming from different parts of the country.”

The court said that recent unfortunate incidents taking the lives of some of the young aspirants who joined coaching centres for their career pursuits are eye-openers for all. The court further suggested that such institutes shall operate through online classes until they fully comply with the fire and safety norms under the Master Plan of Delhi, 2021, read with Unified Building Bye-Laws of Delhi, 2016.

On July 27 three civil services aspirants after a basement library at Rau’s IAS Circle was flooded during heavy rain in Old Rajinder Nagar, reportedly causing damage to the single biometric entry and exit point of the basement.

The incident claimed the lives of two women students, Shreya Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) and Tanya Soni (Telangana), and Nivin Dalwin (Kerala), in the basement of the institute.