New Delhi, September 07 (H.S.): A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking an investigation into the sudden collapse of a building in the Satya Niketan area of south Delhi and compensation of Rs.1 crore each for the families of the students who died in the incident. The High Court has agreed to hear the petition.

On Monday, the counsel appearing for the petitioner mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and sought an early hearing. The court subsequently agreed to consider the petition. The plea has been filed by law student Aniket Kumar Gupta.

The petition seeks a detailed investigation into the Satya Niketan building collapse and compensation of Rs.1 crore each for the families of the deceased students. It has also sought adequate medical treatment for students injured in the incident and the rehabilitation of affected students in safe locations.

The petitioner has further sought structural audits of paying guest (PG) accommodations and hostels across Delhi to identify buildings and premises that may pose safety risks.

According to the petition, the “Hostel Daze Boys PG”, where the incident occurred, is located near Delhi University’s South Campus, an area considered a major student hub. The PG building had a basement and five floors. The incident occurred at around 1:30 p.m. on September 6, following which several students were trapped under the debris.

The petition also refers to a statement from AIIMS, which reportedly said that five students had died in the incident.

The plea has sought an investigation into the cause of the collapse and determination of responsibility for the incident. It has also urged authorities to ascertain whether the concerned PG had a valid licence and whether it had been granted the necessary permission to operate.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar