Basement construction underway before Satya Niketan building fell: Police

Additional DCP Abhimanyu Poswal stated that the accused Hariram Gupta admitted to overseeing renovations in the basement

The Delhi Police said workers were carrying out basement construction work before the Satya Niketan building collapsed, killing seven people, based on the statement of an injured labourer.

Speaking to ANI, Additional DCP Abhimanyu Poswal on Monday stated that the accused Hariram Gupta admitted to overseeing renovations in the basement.

Poswal added that although Hariram Gupta managed the PG, his wife Urmila was the owner of the building, resulting in her arrest along with their son, Mahesh, who ran the PG operations.

"Three people, including Hariram Gupta, have been arrested. We constituted 10 teams and arrested Hariram Gupta from Bhiwadi. As per the initial information we got, Hariram Gupta was the owner of the building and managed the PG. Later, we found that his wife, Urmila, is the building owner, and she has been arrested. Their son, Mahesh, who operated the PG, has also been arrested. During the enquiry, Hariram Gupta stated that he was getting a few renovations done in the basement of the building. The injured labourer also confirmed construction activities were being carried out in the basement of the building," said Poswal.

 

These developments came after three persons, including the building owner and beneficiaries, were arrested in connection with the five-storey building collapse in the South Campus area on September 6, which claimed the lives of seven persons and injured several others.

The arrested accused have been identified as property owner Urmila Gupta (75), her husband Hariram Gupta (81), a retired Sergeant from the Indian Air Force and their son Mahesh Gupta (52).

Following the arrest, the Duty Magistrate of Patiala House remanded Mahesh Gupta to two days' police custody. His parents, Hariram Gupta and Urmila Gupta, have been remanded to judicial custody. They were produced at the residence of the duty magistrate late at night.

Duty Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Bhavya Karhail passed the order of remand after hearing the submissions of Delhi police and defence counsel Yashpal Singh.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government decided to intensify safety checks at paying guest accommodations and coaching centres across the city and review measures aimed at improving housing facilities for students.

A joint meeting of senior officials from various departments of the Delhi government and administration was held at the LG Secretariat under the leadership of the Lieutenant Governor, where the incident was reviewed in detail.

The meeting focused on measures to prevent similar tragedies, improve emergency response and address the shortage of safe accommodation for students studying in colleges and other educational institutions across Delhi.

After the meeting, Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood said the government had discussed every possible measure that could help prevent a repeat of the incident.

Among the measures discussed was strengthening the deployment of the Delhi Police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), with an emphasis on further reducing emergency response times.

The government also examined ways to address the shortage of residential accommodation for students. Officials discussed the possibility of providing additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) concessions wherever necessary to help bridge the gap in student housing.

Another proposal involved allowing higher FAR for the redevelopment of existing hostels so that they can accommodate more students, while continuing to comply with prescribed safety standards.

The regulation of PG accommodations and coaching institutes was also discussed. The government is expected to take further steps based on the report being prepared in accordance with the recommendations of the Justice Guha Committee.

As an immediate preventive measure, various departments will jointly inspect buildings housing coaching centres and PG accommodations across Delhi. The inspections will be carried out within a strict, time-bound period, with officials tasked with identifying potential safety violations and risks.

The Delhi government said it remains committed to ensuring that students have access to safe, regulated and adequate accommodation and that establishments catering to them follow all prescribed safety and regulatory requirements.