Living a life of hell: Delhi student appeals to chief justice over coaching centre tragedy

New Delhi: A UPSC aspirant wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Tuesday. In the letter, Avinash Dubey described the plight of students as "Living a life of hell..." Avinash is seeking action against the officials responsible for the tragic deaths of three students who drowned in the flooded basement of a coaching center in East Delhi last week. The Chief Justice has yet to decide if this letter will be considered as a formal petition.

Avinash Dubey stated that the poor infrastructure in areas like Rajendra Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar, where residents frequently battle floods due to drainage issues and municipal negligence. In his letter, he recounted the drowning of three students in the basement of a building owned by Rau's IAS Study Circle, which was unlawfully being used as a library.

"Due to the rain, the basement filled with water, and three students lost their lives," Avinash wrote. "Areas like Mukherjee Nagar and Rajendra Nagar face waterlogging every year because of the Municipal Corporation's negligence. We have to walk through knee-deep drain water. Students like us are preparing for exams while living a life of hell."

Cause of floods

Avinash also pointed out the improper maintenance of drains, which leads to roads being flooded with a mix of rainwater and untreated sewage. This floodwater often enters homes and creates hazardous living conditions. "The recent incident proves that the lives of students are not safe," he lamented. "The Delhi government and Municipal Corporation force us to live like pests."

Fundamental rights at risk

Avinash stressed that it is a fundamental right for students to study in a safe and healthy environment. "The above incident is heart-rending and worrying. Waterlogging poses a serious threat to the safety and health of students. We need a safe environment to study without fear and to contribute to the country's development," he wrote.

He urged the top court to direct officials to find a permanent solution to the waterlogging problem and to enhance emergency and medical response measures. "Proper evacuation routes should also be ensured," he added.

Toll on lives

Four students, all preparing for the UPSC Civil Services examination, died after heavy rains in Delhi last week. Three of them—Tania Soni, Shreya Yadav, both 25, and Navin Delvin, 28—died in the Rajendra Nagar coaching center's basement. A fourth student, Nilesh Rai, 26, was electrocuted in Patel Nagar.

Residents blamed clogged drains for the flood-like conditions. Pending investigation, seven people, including the coaching center's owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh, were arrested. They face multiple charges, including culpable homicide and causing death by negligence.

Parts of the building deemed encroachments were demolished, and a Junior Engineer with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was dismissed, while a senior employee was suspended.

Negligence on compliance

Investigations have revealed multiple lapses by the coaching center owners and civic authorities. The coaching center had a No-Objection Certificate from the MCD for using the basement for parking and storage, not as a library. This certificate, along with a similar one from the fire department, has now been revoked.