The Delhi High Court has granted bail to the co-owners of a basement used as a coaching center, where three civil services aspirants tragically drowned in July 2024 following a flood caused by heavy rainfall. Justice Sanjeev Narula confirmed the interim bail granted on September 13, 2024, as regular bail, citing a lack of evidence to suggest any corruption at this stage of the proceedings.
The basement, located in Old Rajinder Nagar, was being rented out to Rau’s IAS Study Circle when the incident occurred. The applicants, Parvinder Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Sarbjit Singh, argued their involvement was strictly limited to ownership and leasing of the property. The court agreed, stating, “On a prima facie view, there is merit in the contention that the role of the applicants was limited to being owners of the property where the incident occurred.”
The court also noted that while the allegations of using the basement for commercial purposes without permission were serious, the determination of any offense under Sections 105 and 106 of the BNS (Building and National Safety code) would be decided by the trial court based on the evidence presented.
In addition to granting bail, Justice Narula addressed a proposal by the accused’s senior counsel, who offered a voluntary donation of ₹5 lakh to the families of the victims, Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Delvin. The court directed that this amount be deposited with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) within two weeks. The DSLSA is tasked with considering the claims of the families and disbursing the funds appropriately.
The case has been transferred from the Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which opposed the bail, arguing that the owners had unlawfully allowed the coaching institute to operate commercially in a space not permitted for such use. Despite the CBI’s opposition, the court upheld the bail, emphasizing that the primary goal of bail is to ensure the accused’s presence at trial, not to punish or prevent them preemptively.
