The coaching centre in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar, which has made headlines after three students died due to waterlogging in the basement, was using the basement as a library even though civic authorities had said it could be used as a storage or parking.

The Rau’s IAS Study Circle centre in Rajinder Nagar got a No-Objection Certificate from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in August 2021. The certificate, accessed by NDTV, underlines that the basement is for parking use and household storage.

The coaching centre for civil service aspirants got an NOC from the fire department earlier this month. This document, also accessed by NDTV, mentions that the building has complied with fire safety requirements. It adds that the basement should be used strictly as per building bye-laws.

The building bye-laws lay down that adequate arrangement shall be made to ensure surface drainage does not enter the basement. It also added that if the basement is used for office and commercial purposes, there should be a sufficient number of exit ways and access ways. In the case of the Rajinder Nagar coaching, there was only one entry/exit.

Three civil service aspirants — Tania Soni and Shreya Yadav, both 25, and Navin Delvin, 28 — died after heavy rain in Delhi yesterday led to the flooding of the basement. Several students had gone to the coaching institute’s library when the incident took place.

Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered a probe into the incident to find out if any MCD officer is involved in the negligence that led to the tragedy. She has also said all coaching centres that have violated the law would face action.

Police have registered a case under multiple sections, including charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and death due to negligence. The owner and coordinator of the coaching centre have been arrested. 

The incident has sparked a protest by students, who have blamed civic negligence for the incident. A political blame-game has also begun, with the BJP targeting the Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and also controls MCD. The BJP has said local residents had approached local MLA and AAP leader Durgesh Pathak to get the area’s drainage fixed, but it was not done. Mr Pathak has hit back, saying that the BJP must not do politics on this issue and questioning why the BJP’s councillor did not get work done during his term.

Among the chief ministers present were Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, Tripura CM Manik Saha, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Kumar Yadav, Manipur CM N Biren Singh, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, and Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi.

Delhi Police detained the owner and coordinator of an IAS coaching centre after three students drowned in its flooded basement. A case has been registered against the institute and management. The victims have been identified and their families informed. Protesting students demanded action, while allegations of corruption in the operation of illegal basements have arisen.