Delhi Building Collapse: Owners Sent to Judicial Custody

New Delhi: The owners of the PG building that collapsed in Satya Niketan, Delhi, killing seven students, have been sent to judicial custody. Patiala House Court sent Hariram Gupta and Urmila Gupta to 14 days of judicial custody, while their son Mahesh Gupta was remanded to two days of police custody. The order was passed by Judicial First Class Magistrate Bhavya Kharel.

The FIR charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligence in demolition, repair or construction of buildings, and conducting activities that endanger the lives and personal safety of others. Hariram is reported to own several other buildings in the national capital region.

The five-storey PG building near Delhi University's South Campus collapsed on Sunday at 1.30 pm while repair work was being carried out in the basement. The building was a boys' hostel and was operating without adhering to any safety norms — it had cracks in several places and no emergency exit. Two additional floors had been added to the building two years ago. Students were being charged between Rs 14,000 and Rs 18,000 per bed per month.