The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to urgently list a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions for hostel facilities to be provided in all colleges run by the University of Delhi (DU) in the national capital.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said such a direction could not be issued at the interim stage and informed the petitioner that the matter would be auto-listed in due course.
The PIL was mentioned for urgent listing in the wake of Sunday’s collapse of a five-storeyed paying guest (PG) accommodation building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area, which reportedly resulted in multiple deaths and injuries to students.
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the plea sought directions to ensure that every DU college has hostel facilities for students.
The Court noted that it had already heard and passed an order in another PIL concerning the same incident on Monday. The counsel, however, clarified that the earlier petition sought different reliefs, including compensation, whereas the present PIL was focused on ensuring hostel facilities across DU colleges.
Questioning the urgency of the plea, the Bench asked if such interim relief could even be granted, advising the counsel to file the matter normally for the following day rather than wasting time on an immediate listing.
Meanwhile, action has been taken against the owners and persons allegedly responsible for the collapsed building. Building owner Hariram Gupta and his wife, Urmila, have been remanded to judicial custody, while their son, Mahesh, has been sent to two days of police custody.
According to Delhi Police, the electricity connection was in Hariram’s name, while the property was registered in Urmila’s name. Mahesh allegedly handled the management and day-to-day affairs of the property.
The building, which housed a boys’ PG accommodation near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed at around 1.30 pm while repair work was underway in the basement. Locals alleged that waterlogging in the basement may have weakened the structure.
The Delhi Police has registered a case at the South Campus Police Station against the three accused for offences including culpable homicide, negligence in maintaining a structure and endangering the safety of others.
In the connected PIL heard on Monday, the High Court directed authorities to intensify efforts to save the lives of students affected by the collapse. It also asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to examine, at the highest executive level, whether the collapsed buildings had been constructed with valid permissions.
The Court further directed the MCD to fix responsibility on erring officials or employees if the construction is found to have been carried out without valid permission.
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