CBI Takes Over Investigation in Delhi Coaching Center Tragedy

The CBI has taken over the investigation of the Delhi coaching center incident, where three UPSC aspirants drowned. The Delhi High Court had transferred the case to the CBI due to dissatisfaction with the police investigation. The Supreme Court has called for stricter safety norms in such institutes.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday assumed control of the case involving the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants who drowned in the basement of a coaching center in Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, officials confirmed. A senior CBI official stated that the agency has registered an FIR and obtained all investigative documents from the Delhi Police.

"Following initial formalities, the CBI team will visit the incident site for a comprehensive investigation," the official added. On August 2, the Delhi High Court had shifted the investigation to the CBI, expressing dissatisfaction with the Delhi Police's efforts in the case.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Rouse Avenue Court issued a notice to the CBI after hearing bail pleas from four co-owners of the basement. Principal District and Sessions Judge Anuj Bajaj Chandana called for a status report from the CBI, noting that the transfer process instructed by the High Court was incomplete. The co-owners, arrested on July 28, have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in an FIR filed at Rajinder Nagar Police Station on July 27.

On August 5, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of safety concerns in coaching centers. Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan labeled such institutes as "death chambers" during a hearing of a petition filed by the Coaching Federation of India. The court criticized recent incidents, including the Old Rajinder Nagar tragedy, and suggested that coaching centers operate online until they comply with the Master Plan of Delhi, 2021, and Unified Building Bye-Laws of Delhi, 2016.

(With inputs from agencies.)