Delhi coaching centre deaths: RTI filed to find out ‘actual’ number of deaths

The recent deaths of three Civil Services aspirants in Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar area have ignited widespread outrage in the country, as aspirants raise concerns regarding the authorities’ negligence and lack of accountability which led to the unfortunate incident on Saturday, July 27.

Three aspirants — Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Nivin Dalwin from Kerala, and Tanya Soni from Telangana — lost their lives when water flooded the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle coaching centre on July 27. The flooding occurred after the gate to the coaching centre broke, allowing water to rush in. Students allege that a malfunctioning entry-exit biometric system trapped the victims in the basement.

However, there are growing concerns that the actual death toll might be higher than the reported three.

Students, who have been protesting in Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar for three days, have been demanding that the number of actual casualties be revealed, suggesting that at present, more people are missing or unaccounted for.

In fact, Atish Mathur, a lawyer and an educator who trains Civil Service aspirants, has filed a Right to Information (RTI) plea directed towards Delhi’s Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital to ascertain the actual number of casualties.

The RTI plea was filed on Sunday, July 28, just a day after the deaths of three Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants triggered a wave of nationwide outrage.

“The authorities have categorically maintained that there were three deaths. However, this figure is not substantiated. In the plea, I have sought to find out three points — the number of deaths, their names and the manner of death. There is so much opacity. We just want to verify, in case someone has been missing,” Mathir explained.

Mathur further added that he is in the process of filing RTI pleas directed towards other government hospitals in nearby areas of Old Rajender Nagar, which is considered to be the capital city’s IAS coaching hub.

The educator has also been supporting the ongoing protests by UPSC aspirants.

Students and protestors have been on a sit-in protest for three days now, demanding better infrastructure in UPSC coaching centres and student accommodations, and also urging strict action against civic authorities and coaching centres who are illegally running in basements.

One such protestor, on condition of anonymity, told EdexLive, “There are whispers that the death toll might even be as high as 10 or 12. This is coming from eyewitnesses and survivors from the day of the incident. Students are saying that as many as six or seven ambulances were called and while 20-25 students were rescued, it is suspected that at least half of them were severely affected.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a committee to inquire into the reasons, fix responsibility, suggest measures and recommend policy changes.

Today, on July 30, Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Pappu Yadav also told PTI that the number of deaths is not just three, as is being reported.

“Three people have not died there, there is a list of six people missing, I believe 10-12 people are not accounted for. An attempt to hide is underway. A law or guidelines should be brought in on coaching (centres). Students are not safe anywhere, they are getting exploited,” said the MP from Purnea, Bihar.