New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each of the three victims who lost their lives after flooding the basement of a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar.
The Delhi Police arrested five more people, including the owner of a basement in a four-storey building where the three IAS aspirants died. With these arrests, the total number of people arrested in the case so far has gone to seven.
The owner and the coordinator of the Rau's IAS Study Circle in the Old Rajinder Nagar area have already been arrested, and booked for culpable homicide and other charges. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said each floor of the building is owned by a different person.
"Five more persons have been arrested in connection with the flooding case in Rajinder Nagar. This includes the owner of the basement and an individual who drove a vehicle which appears to have damaged the gate of the building (leading to water gushing in the basement)," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said.
The police said the car waded through the rainwater due to which the water flow increased and the door of the basement got knocked down. The police are committed to ensuring strict action against all those responsible, the officer said.
Delhi Police, meanwhile, may also question MCD officials about desilting of drains and the clearance certificate issued by them to the Rau's IAS Study Circle, PTI reported quoting sources. The police are going to write to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) over these issues, and if required in the course of the probe, may call the officers concerned for questioning, sources said.
The MCD is responsible for the desilting of storm water drains. It has been alleged the drainage system near the coaching centre in the Old Rajinder Nagar area was not working properly due to which a large quantity of rainwater got accumulated at the road, and gushed into the basement. A Delhi Police official said they will also seek the details from the MCD about the cleaning of the drains and the number of inspections they carried out in the area. (With agency inputs)
