CBI clean chit to senior Delhi civic body officials in 2024 coaching deaths case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a supplementary final report before a Delhi court, seeking closure of the probe into the role of
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a supplementary final report before a Delhi court, seeking closure of the probe into the role of two senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials in the 2024 Rau's IAS Study Circle coaching centre deaths case. In its closure report, the CBI requested the court to accept the report and pass the necessary orders, stating that it found no material on record to indicate any criminal negligence or lapse on the part of the two senior civic officials. The agency said there was no evidence to prosecute them for allowing the basement of the building to be used as a library.
Read Full Story The CBI informed the court that the closure report was filed in compliance with its direction to examine the possibility of dereliction of duty by senior MCD officials. While clearing the two senior officers, the agency found dereliction of duty and negligence on the part of three officials from the MCD's Building Department. According to the report, their negligence in discharging official responsibilities contributed to the continued unauthorised commercial use of the basement where the library was operating. The CBI also informed the court that the MCD has already initiated departmental proceedings against the three officials based on the agency's recommendations, and those proceedings are currently underway.
The agency further said that MCD Joint Engineer Arnav Kumar Dutta had already been chargesheeted in the case. According to the CBI, Dutta was aware that the basement was being used for commercial purposes but deliberately failed to report the violation to his superior officers despite inspecting the premises on multiple occasions. The case stems from the deaths of three civil services aspirants who drowned on July 27, 2024, after the basement library of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi's Old Rajendra Nagar was flooded following heavy rainfall.
The victims were identified as Shreya Yadav, 25, from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni, 25, from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin, 24, from Kerala. The incident triggered widespread outrage, raising questions over safety violations at the coaching institute and the failure of civic authorities to enforce building regulations. Ends
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