The Delhi High Court has questioned the evidentiary basis of a plea alleging that persons could still be trapped beneath the debris of the building collapse at Satya Niketan, demanding to know the source of the information forming the basis of such a claim.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was approached for urgent hearing of the matter concerning the debris at the site of the building collapse, in which seven persons were killed.
The plea alleged that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), while carrying out demolition of an adjoining structure, had proceeded without ensuring that the debris from the collapsed building had been completely cleared. It was apprehended that some individuals could consequently remain buried underneath the rubble.
The Bench, however, sought substantive material to support the allegation.
“What is your source?” the Chief Justice asked the counsel, seeking to ascertain how the petitioner had arrived at the conclusion that persons were still trapped beneath the debris.
The Court also sought clarity regarding the urgency claimed by the petitioner, particularly when the authorities would be expected to undertake requisite structural and technical assessments before demolishing a building situated adjacent to a recently collapsed structure.
The Bench observed that a technical evaluation would ordinarily precede such demolition and questioned whether any structural audit or assessment had been undertaken by the competent authorities.
The Court directed the petitioner to formally institute the proceedings, indicating that the matter would thereafter be taken up in accordance with the Court’s listing mechanism.
The proceedings stem from the building collapse at Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus on September 6. The structure was being used as a paying-guest accommodation for male students and collapsed while repair work was underway. Seven persons, including students and workers, died in the incident.
The tragedy has already triggered judicial scrutiny before the High Court. In separate public interest litigation, the Court is examining demands for compensation of ₹1 crore to the families of those who lost their lives, along with directions for structural safety audits of paying-guest accommodations and hostels.
Another PIL pending before the High Court concerns the availability of hostel accommodation for students enrolled in colleges affiliated with Delhi University.
Against this backdrop, the latest plea places the focus on the manner in which the debris at the Satya Niketan site is being handled and the safeguards adopted by civic authorities before undertaking demolition of adjoining structures.
The Bench’s insistence on the provenance of the allegation underscores the judicial requirement that assertions of persons being trapped beneath debris must be founded on verifiable material rather than apprehension or conjecture, particularly when such allegations seek immediate judicial intervention in an ongoing rescue, demolition or structural-safety exercise.
The post Satya Niketan building collapse: Delhi High Court seeks evidence behind claim of persons still trapped under debris appeared first on India Legal.