IAS aspirants’ death | CBI accuses Rau’s IAS study circle owner of illegally using basement for commercial activities
PTC News Desk: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally accused Abhishek Gupta, the owner of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, of deliberately using the basement of his coaching institute for commercial purposes, in violation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) regulations. The basement, which was only approved for non-commercial use, had been converted into a library and exam hall, a decision that has now come under scrutiny following a tragic incident.
On July 27, three UPSC aspirants, Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Dalvin, tragically drowned in the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar due to severe flooding caused by heavy rains. This incident highlighted the improper use of the basement and the lack of adequate safety measures at the facility.
Given the gravity of the situation, the CBI took over the investigation from the Delhi Police on August 2 and has since sought permission from a special court to conduct custodial interrogation of Abhishek Gupta and five other accused: Deshpal Singh, Harvinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Sarabjeet Singh, and Tajinder Singh, who are all currently in judicial custody.
On Saturday, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nishant Garg ordered that all six accused be placed in CBI custody until September 4. The CBI argued that a detailed custodial interrogation was necessary to uncover the full extent of the violations and the events leading up to the deaths of the students.
The investigation has revealed that Rau’s IAS Study Circle had been operating without a valid fire safety certificate for nearly a year, despite prior concerns raised by the Delhi High Court. In 2023, the court had identified numerous coaching institutes in the area that lacked the mandatory fire safety measures, prompting the MCD to issue a show-cause notice to the owner of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, instructing him to comply with the Master Plan-2021 regulations.
In response, on August 8, 2023, Abhishek Gupta assured the MCD that he had applied for the necessary fire safety certificate, which was eventually granted on July 9, 2024. However, this compliance came too late to prevent the tragedy.
Further investigation by the CBI uncovered that the MCD had originally issued an occupancy certificate for the building on August 9, 2021, which clearly stipulated that the basement was to be used only for parking, storage, and other non-commercial activities. Contrary to these conditions, on January 5, 2022, Gupta entered into a nine-year lease agreement, paying ₹4 lakh per month in rent, and converted the basement into a library and exam hall. This action was in direct violation of the approved building usage.
The CBI stated in court, “In contravention of the approved usage of the basement, the lessor and the lessee knowingly agreed to use the basement for the commercial purpose of running the coaching institute.” This misuse of the basement for commercial activities, without proper safety measures, was a critical factor in the fatal incident.
The investigation also highlighted that Old Rajinder Nagar, where the institute is located, frequently experiences flooding even during moderate rainfalls. The building had steel gates installed to prevent water from entering, but these measures proved inadequate on July 27, when heavy rainfall led to a sudden inundation of the basement, where numerous students were studying at the time.
The postmortem reports confirmed that the three students died due to asphyxia caused by drowning. The CBI’s findings underscore that Rau’s IAS Study Circle had been utilizing all floors of the building, including the basement, in violation of its intended use, ultimately leading to a preventable tragedy.
The investigation continues as the CBI seeks to hold those responsible accountable and to ensure such a tragedy does not occur again.