Delhi building collapse: Absconding PG operator surrenders

New Delhi: Absconding accused and PG operator Shubham Tyagi surrendered before the Patiala House Court on Friday, September 11, in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse case, which killed seven people, including five students, police said.

The police produced Tyagi before the court after his surrender and sought his custody for two days for questioning and further investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse of the five-storey building, they said.

The court granted Tyagi two days’ police remand. Police said they will question Tyagi about the paying guest accommodation he was allegedly operating in the building and seek details about its functioning, the lease arrangement and the construction being carried out at the property.

Police will also question him on several aspects related to the PG, including who was involved in its day-to-day operation, the number of occupants and the circumstances in which repair and extension work was being undertaken in the building, police said.

Forensic exam of Tyagi’s phone

Tyagi’s mobile phone will be sent for forensic examination to ascertain his communications with others regarding the building collapse and to find out what was discussed immediately after the incident, sources said.

The sources also said the forensic examination of the phone is expected to help investigators establish the sequence of events and the conversations that took place among those associated with the PG after the building collapsed.

Tyagi had been absconding since the incident, and police teams were searching several locations to locate him. His surrender came a day after a court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

While rejecting his plea, the court took into consideration the stage of the investigation and the requirement to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the collapse. The rejection of the anticipatory bail paved the way for police to seek his custody after he surrendered before the court.

Tyagi’s co-accused already under arrest

According to police, Tyagi was allegedly operating the paying guest accommodation in the building in south Delhi and had taken a floor of the property on lease from its owner Hariram Gupta.

Tyagi and co-accused Sudhanshu Lovneesh were allegedly running the PG in the building. Lovneesh is already under arrest, and investigators are examining his mobile phone and online chat history to ascertain what transpired immediately after the collapse.

Police said Lovneesh’s phone has been sent for forensic examination, and the digital evidence is being analysed as part of the probe.

With Tyagi’s arrest, the police have so far arrested six people in connection with the case, including building owner Hariram Gupta, his wife Urmila Gupta, their son Mahesh Gupta, labour contractor Sanoj Kumar, and PG operators Sudhanshu Lovneesh and Tyagi.

Police probing role of owners

Police said building owner Hariram, 81, and his wife Urmila, 75, are also in judicial custody. The police are probing the role of the property owners, those involved in the repair work and the operators of the PG to determine whether any violations, structural alterations or negligence contributed to the collapse.

The building in Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus collapsed on Sunday while repairs and refilling of the basement were being done to level it from the ground floor. Police sources also said the contractor had warned the building owner and the PG operators about its structural safety after a wall of a shop in the building was demolished.

Sources said Lovneesh was around 90 metres away when the incident took place and fled immediately, fearing locals could thrash him.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) suspended South Zone Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar and four engineers pending disciplinary proceedings following the incident.

The police investigation is also focused on establishing whether the ongoing repair and extension work weakened the structure and contributed to the collapse. On Thursday, several teams of the Delhi Police visited door to door to check the conditions of the PGs across Delhi. They also interacted with students to know if they were facing any problems.