Delhi Police files chargesheet against 6 accused in Satya Niketan building collapse

A severe accident occurred on September 6 in Delhi's Satya Niketan area, where a building collapsed, resulting in the death of 7 people. Taking major action in the matter, the Delhi Police have filed a detailed 638-page chargesheet against a total of 6 accused in the Patiala House Court. The deceased in this accident include 5 students and 2 labourers, while several others were injured. Following the incident, an FIR was registered at the South Campus police station, and after a lengthy investigation, the police have now presented the evidence in court.

According to an NDTV report, the police have examined a total of 87 witnesses in this case. The six individuals named as accused in the chargesheet include the building owners, a labour contractor, and paying guest (PG) operators. The accused are named as Hari Ram Gupta, Urmila Gupta, Mahesh Gupta, Sanoj Kumar, Sudhanshu Lavnish Kumar, and Shubham Tyagi. Police investigation revealed that these individuals played different roles and their negligence led to this major disaster.

During the investigation, the police learned that Urmila Gupta is the registered owner of the property and all financial transactions related to the property were transferred to her bank account. Meanwhile, Hari Ram Gupta was the caretaker of the building and was a direct beneficiary through this property. His son, Mahesh Gupta, managed all affairs of the building and was responsible for collecting payments in cash. These three individuals have been made accused as they were linked to the ownership and management of the building.

Additionally, a person named Sanoj Kumar has been identified as the labour contractor. He was a mason working in the building. According to the police, Sanoj Kumar allegedly demolished a wall of the property, which may have caused the collapse. Meanwhile, Sudhanshu Lavnish Kumar and Shubham Tyagi were operating paying guest (PG) facilities in this building. It is noteworthy that Shubham Tyagi had absconded after the incident but surrendered before the Patiala House Court on September 11.

According to reports by Aaj Tak and Sandesh, the police have registered crimes against all these accused under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Primarily, they have been charged with 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder' under Section 105. Furthermore, they are accused of performing a negligent act endangering the lives of others under Section 125(a) and committing a crime with common intention under Section 3(5). Action has been taken under Section 290 for gross negligence shown during construction and repair.

Moreover, the police have filed charges under Section 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, Section 324(2) for damaging public or private property, and Section 324(4) for causing financial loss to the property. The police claim that the accused worked without taking necessary precautions during construction or repair, which led to the building collapse and the deaths of several innocent people.

Regarding the background of the incident, the building is located in the Satya Niketan area near the South Campus of Delhi University. On September 6, while repair work was underway in the building and a refilling process was being carried out in the basement, the entire building suddenly collapsed. The death of seven people simultaneously caused chaos in the entire area and sparked widespread discussion. Following this incident, a hearing also took place in the Supreme Court, where the court questioned how commercial activities are being carried out in residential areas.

Now that the Delhi Police have presented this detailed 638-page chargesheet in court, the legal process in this case will proceed. The court will now examine the evidence and decide on the punishment after determining the liability of the accused. The investigation conducted by the police considers negligence during construction and repair as the primary cause of this tragic event.