A 27-hour rescue operation at a five-storey boys’ paying guest accommodation in Delhi’s Satya Niketan ended on Monday with seven people dead and five others injured, triggering a widening investigation into the circumstances surrounding the building’s collapse and the role of civic authorities.

The building, located near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed at around 1.30 pm on Sunday while repair work was underway. Students and workers were trapped beneath the rubble, and by Monday evening, the tragedy had prompted arrests, suspension of civic officials and a court-ordered inquiry.

Owner’s Family Arrested After Collapse

Police arrested the building’s owner, Hariram Gupta, along with his wife, Urmila, and their son, Mahesh, as authorities began investigating the collapse.

The Delhi Municipal Corporation also suspended five of its officials in the aftermath of the incident.

The Delhi High Court ordered a high-level inquiry into the role of civic authorities, placing the focus on whether regulatory and oversight failures contributed to the disaster.

The investigation is expected to examine the condition of the building and the circumstances under which repair work was being carried out when the structure came down.

Delhi Orders Action Against Unauthorised Floors

The fallout from the collapse has extended beyond the Satya Niketan site, prompting the Delhi government to order action against unauthorised fifth floors in buildings.

Lieutenant Governor has also directed structural audits and inspection drives in areas with a high concentration of paying guest accommodations.

The measures come amid wider concerns over the safety of buildings used to house thousands of students across Delhi, particularly in neighbourhoods surrounding major educational institutions.

The collapse has brought renewed attention to the regulation and structural safety of student accommodation, with authorities now facing questions over the enforcement of building norms.

Student Groups Raise Housing Safety Concerns

Student groups have demanded safer and more affordable accommodation following the incident.

Satya Niketan, located close to Delhi University’s South Campus, is among the areas that accommodate a large number of students in privately run paying guest facilities.

The tragedy has therefore widened into a debate over whether existing regulations adequately address the safety of buildings that are used as student housing.

Questions are also being raised over the enforcement of rules governing unauthorised construction and structural alterations in such buildings.

BJP, AAP And Congress Clash Over Responsibility

The incident has also sparked a political confrontation between the BJP, AAP and Congress, with the parties trading charges over responsibility for the tragedy.

As the inquiry proceeds, the collapse has become a wider issue involving civic accountability, building regulation and the safety of thousands of students living in paying guest accommodations across the national capital.

The immediate rescue operation may have concluded, but the investigation into how the building collapsed and whether the tragedy could have been prevented is only beginning.

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