Rajinder Nagar Coaching Centre Flouted Safety Norms, Endangered Lives

In a tragic incident in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar, three students from the Rau’s IAS Study Circle coaching centre died after the basement of the building flooded due to heavy rainfall. The basement, which had been converted into a library, was not authorized for this use, according to municipal regulations.

The coaching centre had obtained a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in August 2021. This NOC specified that the basement should be used only for parking and household storage. Additionally, the fire department issued an NOC earlier this month, confirming that the building met fire safety standards and specifying that the basement should adhere strictly to building bye-laws.

These bye-laws require that adequate surface drainage be ensured to prevent water from entering the basement. They also stipulate that if the basement is used for office or commercial purposes, there must be multiple exits and access points. In the case of the Rajinder Nagar coaching centre, there was only one entry/exit, which contributed to the severity of the incident.

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The victims—Tania Soni and Shreya Yadav, both 25, and Navin Delvin, 28—were trapped in the basement library when the flooding occurred. The incident has prompted Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi to order an investigation to determine if MCD officials were negligent. She has also warned that coaching centres violating regulations will face legal action.

Police have filed charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and death due to negligence against the coaching centre’s owner and coordinator, who have been arrested. The tragedy has led to student protests, with many blaming civic authorities for their role in the incident.

Political fallout has ensued, with the BJP criticizing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, which controls both the Delhi government and the MCD. The BJP alleges that local MLA and AAP leader Durgesh Pathak failed to address drainage issues despite complaints. Pathak has countered by accusing the BJP of playing politics with the tragedy and questioning why their own councillor did not address the problem during his tenure.