The drowning of three students in a Delhi exam coaching center’s basement has ignited anger and protests.
The students, all in their 20s, died on Saturday night after becoming trapped in the flooded basement while studying.
Police have arrested seven people, including the institute’s owner, on charges of causing death by negligence.
The institute, Rau’s IAS Study Circle, is among several in Delhi where thousands of students prepare for national exams.
The victims—Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nivin Dalwin—were studying for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, which lead to coveted government jobs.
Many coaching centres, often in cramped residential buildings, are accused of violating safety norms.
Since the incident, Delhi authorities have sealed about a dozen centres for illegally holding classes in basements.
The tragedy has sparked a political row between the Delhi government and federal authorities, with both blaming each other for negligence.
Delhi, a federally-administered territory, is governed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but lacks full administrative powers.
Protests by hundreds of students have erupted, accusing the administration of neglect.
The tragedy occurred after heavy rains in the capital on Saturday. Delhi’s fire department received a call around 19:00 local time (14:30 GMT) about flooding in the coaching centre’s basement in Old Rajinder Nagar.
The basement, used as a library and reading room, housed about three dozen students and staff at the time.
Some students claimed a gate collapsed, allowing water to rush in from the road, while others said a nearby drain burst due to the heavy rains.
The basement flooded rapidly, leaving little time to escape. While some managed to flee, others were rescued by authorities.
It remains unclear why the three students got trapped. A student named Rajan told BBC Hindi that a biometric system on the basement doors failed due to water-logging, preventing escape.
The institute has not addressed this allegation but stated it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths and was “co-operating fully” with the investigation.
Divers recovered the bodies of the three students after hours of searching. Authorities said the centre had permission to use the basement only for storage and parking, and the library was illegal.
They also noted that clogged drains caused the water to overflow onto the road.
In response, students preparing for the UPSC exam held protests demanding strict action against those responsible and criticised Delhi’s poor infrastructure.
Vikram, another student, told reporters, “We pay hundreds of thousands of rupees in coaching fees and rent, but what are you giving us? Death.”
The incident has intensified the political feud between Delhi’s AAP government and the BJP-led federal government.
The BJP blamed the AAP for not maintaining drains and roads, while the AAP accused the federally appointed lieutenant governor of inaction.
The incident was also discussed in parliament, where opposition lawmakers demanded federal intervention to ensure justice.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted “widespread violations of building codes, fire safety, and flood safety regulations” in Delhi.
Source-BBC
