Coachings have become death chambers: SC notice to Delhi, Centre
The Supreme Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the deaths of three civil service aspirants at Rau's IAS coaching center in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar. On Monday, the court issued notices to the Centre and Delhi government expressing concern over student safety at coaching centers. On July 27, Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin (24) from Kerala died due to flooding in the coaching center's basement after overnight rains.
SC pulls up coaching center
The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, said, "Coaching centers are playing with lives of aspirants who have come from different parts of the country." The apex court called the incident an "eye-opener," and labeled these centres as "death chambers." It also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the Coaching Center Federation for challenging the Delhi High Court's order to shut down centres operating without a fire No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Supreme Court seeks safety norms compliance report
The court has asked the Centre, Delhi government, and Municipal Corporation of Delhi to file responses showing what safety norms have been prescribed so far. The Supreme Court also requested the Attorney General's assistance in this matter. The bench stated, "We are not sure as to what effective measure has been taken so far by NCT of Delhi or [Centre]." It noted that non-compliant coaching centres should shift to an online mode, acknowledging that this transition is not currently happening.
CBI takes over investigation into coaching center deaths
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court transferred the investigation into these deaths from the Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday. This move was made "to ensure the public has no doubt over the investigation." The high court also criticized the police for the probe into the deaths.
What Delhi HC told police
"Mercifully, you have not challaned rainwater for entering the basement, the way you arrested the SUV driver for driving his car there," the Delhi HC told police on Friday. On Thursday, the court granted bail to Manuj Kathuria—an SUV driver who was arrested and charged with "culpable homicide not amounting to murder"—in the case. Kathuria was accused of driving on a waterlogged road next to the center—allegedly pushing the water into the basement.
