The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it demolished 543 properties, sealed 178, issued show-cause notices to 354 properties for unauthorised construction, served sealing notices on 205 properties, and passed 98 demolition orders in 17 days since the Satya Niketan building collapse.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the MCD, submitted before a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia that the matter was taken up at the highest executive level immediately after the incident. The police also stated that the accused left the site after the incident, instead of taking responsibility and assisting in the immediate aftermath. A five-storey building in Satya Niketan, which housed a paying guest accommodation known as Hostel Daze for Delhi University students, collapsed on September 6, killing at least seven people and injuring five others. Renovation work was under way on the ground floor when the structure collapsed around 1.30pm, according to police. The building was estimated to be 40-50 years old. On September 7, the court asked Delhi Police, MCD and DU to respond to the petition, and asked the MCD to conduct an inquiry at the highest executive level into the collapse, as well as an inspection in a week. In an affidavit filed on September 21, the Delhi Police stated that six persons arrested in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse, including the building owner, her husband and son, two operators and a contractor, failed to take adequate safety precautions during construction work carried out in and around the premises.
The law officer said that the action was not limited to field-level officials, and that five officers across the supervisory chain were also suspended.
Mehta said that in compliance with the court’s September 7 directions to inspect buildings hosting paying guest (PG) accommodations, the MCD conducted a time-bound exercise across all 12 zones under its jurisdiction. Of the 2,453 buildings inspected, 2,342 were found to be visibly safe, 91 required minor repairs, 30 required major repairs and four were found to be in a dangerous condition.
Necessary action has been initiated with the owners of buildings requiring minor or major repairs, the law officer said.
Petition Calls for Comprehensive Investigation into Building Collapse
Aniket Kumar Gupta has filed a petition demanding a thorough investigation into the recent building collapse. The petition seeks to scrutinize the involvement of various parties, including the owner, contractor, builder, architect, structural engineer, and workers. Gupta’s request emphasizes the need for accountability and transparency in understanding the factors that led to this tragic event.
