Delhi coaching centre deaths: Civic body MCD seals basements of 10 institutes

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed as many as basement spaces of 10 coaching centres and libraries in the national capital for violating building bylaws. The civic undertook the drive inShahdara (South Zone), Karol Bagh, and Najafgarh Zone of the city.

The action comes days after three civil services aspirants died in the basement of a coaching institute in the Old Rajinder Nagar area. The three students drowned asthey were studying in the library, being illegally operated in the basement of the institute.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi took to social media to inform about the action taken by the MCD.

"MCD's sealing drive continues in East Delhi today. We are in the process of doing everything to set an example for all coaching centres that think of flouting rules," wrote Oberoi.

As many asfour basements that doubled up as illegal libraries were operational in the Karol Bagh Zone, four in the Shahdara South Zone and two in the Najafgarh Zone. After sealing the libraries,MCD also issued notices to coaching centres and property owners for issues of property and violation of the requisite laws.

Notably, in the immediate aftermath of the incident, MCD had sealed 13 coaching centres in Old Rajinder Nagar and vowed to expand the drive citywide.

'Death chambers'

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court took suo moto cognisance of the issue andissued a notice to the Centre, the Delhi government and the civic body regarding the safety norms they had prescribed so far.

The apex court also called out the coaching centres for running 'death chambers' where the lives of students were compromised.

"These places (coaching centres) have become death chambers. Coaching institutes can operate online unless there is full compliance of the safety norms and basic norms for a dignified life. Coaching centres are playing with the lives of aspirants who come from different parts of the country," a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said.

Last week, the Delhi High Court transferred the probe into the deaths of the students from Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure that the "public had no doubt" over the probe.

(With inputs from agencies)