Gift of sight: Delhi PG collapse victim's family donates his corneas

Arpit Jaj had returned to Delhi after celebrating Raksha Bandhan with his family in Madhya Pradesh when tragedy struck. Hours after reaching the national capital, the 19-year-old student was buried under the rubble of a five-storey building that came crashing down in Delhi's Satya Niketan area.Now, as his family struggles to come to terms with the loss of their only son, they have made a deeply painful decision — to donate his corneas, hoping that his eyes can help someone else see the world he was forced to leave so young.Arpit, a second-year B.Com student at Delhi University's Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam College, had reached Delhi at around 7 am on Sunday after spending Rakshabandhan at his home in Dewas.By afternoon, the five-storey building that housed Hostel Daze, the PG accommodation where he was staying, had collapsed. When the family learnt about the disaster, they tried calling Arpit repeatedly. His phone was switched off. Unable to reach him, his parents left for Delhi.Their fears were confirmed when Arpit was found trapped beneath the debris and authorities confirmed his death. His mother had reportedly urged him not to return to Delhi. After seeing her son's body following the collapse, she was overwhelmed and had to be admitted to AIIMS.Even amid that unbearable grief, the family chose to donate Arpit's corneas.Friends remembered Arpit as a young student looking forward to returning to college. He had also made plans to attend a concert with his friends.The building collapse claimed the lives of seven people, while 12 people were rescued from the rubble. The tragedy occurred as repair work was underway at the dilapidated structure.The owner of the building, Hariram Gupta, was arrested from Bhiwadi near Gurugram on Monday.Police have registered a case against Gupta and others. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered into the incident.- Ends(With PTI inputs)Published By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Sep 8, 2026 08:28 IST