The clamour for action and justice grew louder in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar as students continued their protests on Monday. The action took place following the tragic deaths of three civil services aspirants due to basement flooding in their coaching institute. Security has been tightened in the area to manage the escalating unrest.
The incident occurred when heavy rain caused the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle to flood, leading to a failure of the biometric entry and exit system on the night of on Saturday. As a result, three students — two women and one man — lost their lives. In response, a Delhi court has placed the owner and coordinator of the coaching centre in 14-day judicial custody.
Outside Rau’s IAS Study Circle, protesters demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry, a Supreme Court committee to investigate the incident, and compensation for the victims’ families. Salman, one of the protesting students, voiced his frustration, blaming systemic failures and the lack of safety measures.
“The system is responsible. Political leaders, MCD are responsible. There should be an action. There should be an FIR. There is no CCTV cameras, no proper wiring, drainage. They are compromising with the lives of students,” he said.
Another protester, Sahil, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of official response. “We have been sitting here for the last two days but none of the MCD officials came to meet us. We submitted our demands to the DCP yesterday… but none of it has been addressed,” he stated, listing their demands, which included information on the deceased, copies of FIR, and significant compensation for the families of the deceased and injured.
On Sunday, the protests had led to several detentions after students blocked a road near the Karol Bagh Metro Station, causing traffic disruptions. The police intervened, leading to a scuffle and the detention of many protesters. The police used body cameras and drones to monitor the demonstration and eventually dispersed the crowd, restoring traffic flow.
The tragic incident has prompted the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to take action against illegal coaching centres. A high-level committee has been set up to investigate the flooding at Rau’s IAS Study Circle. By late Sunday night, a team from the civic body had sealed around 13 illegally-run coaching centres in Old Rajinder Nagar.
As the crackdown on illegal basement libraries continues, many students are struggling to find alternative study spaces. There is a growing call for the establishment of safe and regulated study environments to support the academic pursuits of students in the area.
