Three students died due to flooding in the basement. (File Photo)
The jailed four co-owners of a coaching center in New Delhi’s old Rajendra Nagar where three civil services aspirants died last month after water flooded their basement, told a Delhi court on Friday that the incident was a violation of the law and was far from God. This could have been avoided if the municipal bodies had done their duty.
Accused Parvinder Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh and Sarabjit Singh made the plea before Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna while seeking bail in the case.
Negligence of municipal agencies
The counsel for all the four accused told the judge that it was an act of God and it could have been avoided if the civic agencies had performed their duties but they had failed miserably. The lawyer said that there is no library in the basement, rather it is a waiting area where students can go and sit and study if they want. There is no mention of a library in the lease deed, but it says that it was to be used for coaching purposes.
The fire brigade investigated
The lawyer claimed that the fire department had inspected the premises a few days before the incident. He claimed that after inspection, the fire department report stated that the basement was used for storage and the building was safe and suitable for running an educational centre.
Next hearing on August 12
The lawyer said that to impose the clause of culpable homicide there must be an intention to commit the crime with knowledge. He asked where he would get the information. Did I give the property thinking I would build a basement and commit murder one day when it rained? The lawyer told the judge that the four accused did not escape from arrest but went to the police station themselves after getting information about the incident. The judge fixed August 12 for further hearing of the case.
