New Delhi, 13 July (H.S.):

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has given a clean chit to two officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in connection with the deaths of three students caused by flooding at the basement of the Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar. The agency has filed a closure report concerning the two officials before the Rouse Avenue Court.

In its closure report, the CBI stated that no evidence of negligence had been found against the two MCD officials and, therefore, there were no grounds to prosecute them. However, the agency held three officials from the MCD's Building Department responsible for negligence. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has already initiated departmental proceedings against these three officials.

Earlier, on September 13, 2024, the Delhi High Court granted bail to four co-owners of the coaching institute, directing them to deposit Rs 5 crore with the Indian Red Cross Society as a condition for their release. The four accused granted bail were Tejinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Sarabjit Singh.

Before that, the Sessions Court at Tis Hazari had granted bail to another accused in the case, Thar driver Manoj Kathuria.

On August 2, 2024, the Delhi High Court transferred the investigation into the incident to the CBI.

The Delhi Police had arrested the four co-owners of Rau's IAS Study Circle and the Thar driver on July 29, 2024. Earlier, on July 28, 2024, coaching centre owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh were arrested.

Apart from the accused, the Delhi Police also registered a case against officials responsible for the building's management and maintenance system, along with other individuals, under various provisions related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The case was registered under Sections 105, 106(1), 115(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar