CBI clean chit to senior Delhi civic body officials in 2024 coaching deaths case
The CBI has filed a closure report before a Delhi court, clearing two senior MCD officials in the 2024 Rau's IAS coaching deaths case. However, it found negligence by three building department officials, while MCD has initiated departmental action against them.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a supplementary final report before a Delhi court, seeking closure of the probe into the role of two senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials in the 2024 Rau's IAS Study Circle coaching centre deaths case.
In its closure report, the CBI requested the court to accept the report and pass the necessary orders, stating that it found no material on record to indicate any criminal negligence or lapse on the part of the two senior civic officials. The agency said there was no evidence to prosecute them for allowing the basement of the building to be used as a library.
The CBI informed the court that the closure report was filed in compliance with its direction to examine the possibility of dereliction of duty by senior MCD officials.
On the role of the then Superintending Engineer, the CBI said the file was placed before him on only two occasions in the normal course of official processing. He was neither the inspecting officer nor the custodian of the file, and was not privy to the factual verification of the premises or the documents submitted by the owner.
The notes and reports put up by subordinate officers did not disclose any specific violation regarding the use of the basement as an exam hall or library. Since no record placed before him indicated the basement was being used for such purposes, there was no occasion to act on the misuse.
The file came before Deputy Commissioner, MCD, Karol Bagh Zone, Kumar Abhishek for issuance of a Show Cause Notice for violations under the Master Plan of Delhi 2021, the CBI said.
At that stage, no specific misuse of the basement as an exam hall or library had been reported by subordinate officers. During subsequent personal hearings conducted in his quasi-judicial capacity, he directed examination of documents and submission of a detailed inspection report.
However, even in the reports placed before him thereafter, no violation relating to the use of the basement was brought to his notice. The CBI concluded that he acted on the basis of reports and information provided by subordinate officers and found no negligence, lapse, or dereliction of duty on his part.
While clearing the two senior officers, the agency found dereliction of duty and negligence on the part of three officials from the MCD's Building Department. According to the report, their negligence in discharging official responsibilities contributed to the continued unauthorised commercial use of the basement where the library was operating.
The CBI also informed the court that the MCD has already initiated departmental proceedings against the three officials based on the agency's recommendations, and those proceedings are currently underway.
The agency further said that MCD Joint Engineer Arnav Kumar Dutta had already been chargesheeted in the case. According to the CBI, Dutta was aware that the basement was being used for commercial purposes but deliberately failed to report the violation to his superior officers despite inspecting the premises on multiple occasions.
The case stems from the deaths of three civil services aspirants who drowned on July 27, 2024, after the basement library of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi's Old Rajendra Nagar was flooded following heavy rainfall. The victims were identified as Shreya Yadav, 25, from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni, 25, from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin, 24, from Kerala.
The incident triggered widespread outrage, raising questions over safety violations at the coaching institute and the failure of civic authorities to enforce building regulations.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a supplementary final report before a Delhi court, seeking closure of the probe into the role of two senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials in the 2024 Rau's IAS Study Circle coaching centre deaths case.
In its closure report, the CBI requested the court to accept the report and pass the necessary orders, stating that it found no material on record to indicate any criminal negligence or lapse on the part of the two senior civic officials. The agency said there was no evidence to prosecute them for allowing the basement of the building to be used as a library.
The CBI informed the court that the closure report was filed in compliance with its direction to examine the possibility of dereliction of duty by senior MCD officials.
On the role of the then Superintending Engineer, the CBI said the file was placed before him on only two occasions in the normal course of official processing. He was neither the inspecting officer nor the custodian of the file, and was not privy to the factual verification of the premises or the documents submitted by the owner.
The notes and reports put up by subordinate officers did not disclose any specific violation regarding the use of the basement as an exam hall or library. Since no record placed before him indicated the basement was being used for such purposes, there was no occasion to act on the misuse.
The file came before Deputy Commissioner, MCD, Karol Bagh Zone, Kumar Abhishek for issuance of a Show Cause Notice for violations under the Master Plan of Delhi 2021, the CBI said.
At that stage, no specific misuse of the basement as an exam hall or library had been reported by subordinate officers. During subsequent personal hearings conducted in his quasi-judicial capacity, he directed examination of documents and submission of a detailed inspection report.
However, even in the reports placed before him thereafter, no violation relating to the use of the basement was brought to his notice. The CBI concluded that he acted on the basis of reports and information provided by subordinate officers and found no negligence, lapse, or dereliction of duty on his part.
While clearing the two senior officers, the agency found dereliction of duty and negligence on the part of three officials from the MCD's Building Department. According to the report, their negligence in discharging official responsibilities contributed to the continued unauthorised commercial use of the basement where the library was operating.
The CBI also informed the court that the MCD has already initiated departmental proceedings against the three officials based on the agency's recommendations, and those proceedings are currently underway.
The agency further said that MCD Joint Engineer Arnav Kumar Dutta had already been chargesheeted in the case. According to the CBI, Dutta was aware that the basement was being used for commercial purposes but deliberately failed to report the violation to his superior officers despite inspecting the premises on multiple occasions.
The case stems from the deaths of three civil services aspirants who drowned on July 27, 2024, after the basement library of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi's Old Rajendra Nagar was flooded following heavy rainfall. The victims were identified as Shreya Yadav, 25, from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni, 25, from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin, 24, from Kerala.
The incident triggered widespread outrage, raising questions over safety violations at the coaching institute and the failure of civic authorities to enforce building regulations.
