Delhi Coaching Centre death: Court sentences six accused to four days' CBI custody | News from India

A Delhi court has remanded six persons in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody for four days in connection with the tragic death of three IAS aspirants. The victims, Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni and Nevin Dalvin, drowned in the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Old Rajender Nagar last month. The incident took place on the evening of July 27, 2024, during severe floods in the area.

Court orders custody for CBI

Deputy Chief Judicial Magistrate Nishant Garg ordered the remand of the six accused – Abhishek Gupta, Deshpal Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, Sarabjit Singh and Parvinder Singh – in CBI custody. The court said they would be produced again on September 4, 2024. The CBI had sought four days of remand as further investigation was required.

CBI takes over investigation

Following an order of the Delhi High Court on August 2, 2024, the CBI took over control of the case from the Delhi Police. The agency has initiated proceedings on several charges, including intentional killing not amounting to murder, negligent homicide and violation of building safety norms.

Illegal use of building and fire safety violations

According to CBI, the basement of the building was misused as a library-cum-examination hall for students, although the use permit stated its use as a parking space, storage room and car lift. At the time of the incident, the building also lacked a valid fire safety certificate. The authority said the owner, Abhishek Gupta, had been served with a summons for violating the Delhi Master Plan 2021 and misusing the property. Gupta responded, claiming that he had applied for a fire safety certificate, which was later issued on July 9, 2024.

Objection of the defense

The accused's counsel opposed the CBI's remand application on the grounds that the agency had not provided sufficient grounds for detaining the accused. Advocate Kaushal Jeet Kait, representing the four co-owners of the basement, pointed out that one of the accused, Sarabjit Singh, had recently undergone a surgery and required medication during his detention.