Students on Wednesday continued to protest in Delhi against coaching centres, demanding “justice” after the death of three Civil Service aspirants in the basement of Rau’s IAS coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar due to flooding after heavy rain on July 27.
Protests have spread to various coaching centre hubs such as Mukherjee Nagar as well. Model Town sub-divisional magistrate Rajiv Sinha met students in Mukherjee Nagar to understand their demands.
Students have demanded action against coaching centres and landowners and officials for the illegal use of basements. They also demand action on waterlogging in the area, which is prone to flooding due to the lack of proper drainage systems.
IAS coaching institutes primarily focus on preparing students for the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission in India. The exam is one of the toughest competitive exams in the country and consists of three stages – Preliminary, Main and Personality Test (Interview).
About 1.3 million take the exam every year, and there are coaching centres across the country which prepare them for it by collecting hefty fees.
The tragic death of the three students took place last Saturday after rainwater filled the basement of the coaching centre, which was being used as a library – in violation of rules. Several students were trapped.
The police and fire department officials received a call at around 7.10pm. A video, seemingly shot hours before the bodies of the three students were recovered, shows students rushing out of the flooded basement. Water was gushing down the stairs as the students waded through it.
A man can be heard asking the students to come out of the basement quickly. “Kids, come up quickly. Quick, quick... Is anyone left behind? Is anyone down there?” he asked.
Three students – Ms Tania Soni, 25, Ms Shreya Yadav, 25, and Mr Navin Delvin, 28 – were left behind and their bodies were recovered after a seven-hour rescue operation involving professional divers.
Even as the police are probing the cause behind the flooding, locals blame the poor drainage system in the area. They say it was heavily clogged with silt and overflowed, leading to a flood-like situation following rains.
One video showed the road in front of the coaching institute severely waterlogged with waist-deep water levels.
On Tuesday, a Delhi Police spokesman said a case had been registered and arrests have been made. The cops asked the students for patience while they complete investigations.
“Seven people have been arrested, including the coaching centre owner and coordinator, and the building owner. We are not leaving any stone unturned... our investigation is not complete,” Deputy Commissioner of Police M. Harshvardhan said.
