New Delhi: A day after the building collapse in Satya Niketan killed at least seven people, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended five officials, including Deputy Commissioner of the South zone.
The police confirmed to ThePrint that the building owner, Hariram Bansal, was arrested from Bhiwadi, Rajasthan.
The MCD order, accessed by ThePrint, says Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, South Zone, under suspension with immediate effect as per the DMC Services (Control & Appeal) Regulations, 1959 and other applicable rules.
Ranvir Singh, superintendent engineer (south zone), Lalit Kumar Goel, executive engineer, building, Sunil Chauhan, assistant engineer and Ashish Kumar, Junior engineer, have been suspended, too.
The office of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta issued a post on X, stating the decision taken by the administration.
As per the directions of Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta in the Satya Niketan incident.
MCD Deputy Commissioner, Executive Engineer, Superintending Engineer, Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer suspended.
— CMO Delhi (@CMODelhi) September 7, 2026
Meanwhile, Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told the media that preliminary findings indicate basement work in the old building may have caused the collapse. Twelve people have been rescued, so far.
Taking cognisance of the matter, the Delhi Police registered an FIR against Bansal and others under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 290 (negligent construction activity) and 125(a) (act endangering life or personal safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Earlier, a lookout notice was issued against the absconding building owner.
In a related development, the MCD has started issuing demolition notices to the damaged buildings near the site. A notice was issued to building no 13 in Satya Niketan, citing that it posed a threat to residents, visitors, passersby, and neighbouring buildings.
“It (read MCD) would demolish the building if the owner or occupier failed to do so within three days of receiving the order and recover the cost from the owner as arrears of tax,” the notice read.
The notice was issued under Section 348 read with Section 491 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, by the Executive Engineer (Building)-I of the MCD’s South Zone.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: Satya Niketan PG collapse: Photo in hand, DU students scramble to find their friends at AIIMS