Satya Niketan Collapse: Delhi CM Orders Demolition Drive, Inspections of All PGs

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday ordered the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to demolish illegal structures and inspect all paying guest hostels across the capital after the Satya Niketan building collapse claimed seven lives.

The directions include using bulldozers against illegal construction and examining building records to trace when unauthorised work occurred and which officials had jurisdiction at the time.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), senior municipal officials have been instructed to remain on the ground during demolition action in several areas of Delhi.

PG inspections and scrutiny of building records

Gupta directed officials to inspect PG hostels across the city and act against illegal construction on their premises.

“Conduct intensive inspections of all PG hostels in Delhi and take action against illegal construction,” she said.

The Chief Minister also called for a closer examination of the records behind such construction.

“Scrutinise building records—determine exactly when the illegal construction took place and under whose jurisdiction,” Gupta directed.

Building adjoining collapse site to be demolished

The CMO said MCD had also been directed to demolish a dilapidated building adjoining the collapse site in the interest of public safety.

Delhi Fire Service personnel were systematically removing students’ belongings from the building, the CMO said in a post on X. It appealed to students and local residents to cooperate with the authorities.

What has the police investigation found?

According to police, the five-storey building that collapsed in Satya Niketan on September 6 was undergoing significant repair work at the time.

Police said Mahesh Gupta, the property owner’s son, told investigators that the basement floor was being repaired following waste accumulation during the rainy season over the preceding eight to 10 days. The ground floor was also being renovated for a commercial extension.

Mahesh further told investigators that the family learnt of the collapse from local residents and, fearing legal action, left their residence for his in-laws’ house in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan.

Police arrested property owner Urmila Gupta, 75, her husband Hariram Gupta, 81, and their son Mahesh Gupta, 52, on Monday in connection with the collapse, which killed seven people and injured several others.

The investigation is continuing into the circumstances of the collapse and the roles of those involved in the building’s ownership, maintenance, repair work and PG operations.

With inputs from ANI