New Delhi: Five more people, including a SUV driver who drove past the waterlogged road in front of RAU’s IAS centre, were arrested Monday in connection with the deaths of three UPSC aspirants at the centre’s basement library in Old Rajinder Nagar.
In a widely shared video, an SUV is seen driving down the waterlogged road in front of the coaching centre, leading to waves of water lashing on to the coaching institute’s gate. ThePrint cannot cannot verify the authenticity of the video.
According to the police, the SUV driver contributed to breaking the gates of RAU’s IAS centre in Old Rajinder Nagar. The police picked up the driver from his home, stating they were taking him to the police station for questioning.
The driver’s wife, Shima, claimed that her husband was being falsely blamed. “My husband didn’t even touch the door; he was on the other side. Police came to our home last evening and said they wanted to ask him questions, but later they arrested him. All the news channels are saying that he broke the door, but he did not,” she said.
Dozens of people, including students and staff, were trapped on Saturday evening when water flooded the coaching centre’s basement following heavy rains. Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni and Nevin Dalwin died in the tragedy.
Overall, seven people, including Rau’s IAS Study Centre owner Abhishek Gupta, have been arrested so far.
The driver, a 50-year-old businessman, was on his way to drop two guests at the metro station, his friends and family said, alleging that the police were trying to pin the blame on him.
“We have been dealing with waterlogging for the last 20 years. This is not new. The water was up to the car bonnet. If he had stopped the car, it wouldn’t have restarted. Anyone who drives can understand that in such a situation, you don’t stop the car,” Shima explained.
A friend of the arrested man alleged that the police action was illegal. “This is like a robbery happening somewhere, and you were nearby, so the police arrested you for just being there. This is the same situation. My friend was there. The real culprits are the building owners. They did not have permission to run the library; they only had permission for storage. The police should be questioning the MCD authorities, but instead, they are arresting innocent people,” the man asserted.
In related developments, MCD officials met with the protesting students Sunday night and announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and assured strict action against illegal construction in Old Rajinder Nagar.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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