Satya Niketan collapse: Delhi police file 638-page chargesheet against six

JCB machines carry out rescue operations at the site of a building collapse at Satya Niketan in South-West Delhi, in New Delhi on Sunday. | Photo Credit: ANI Nearly two months after a five-storey paying guest (PG) accommodation in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed, killing seven persons and leaving several others injured, the Delhi police on Thursday filed a 638-page chargesheet against six persons in connection with the incident. The police examined 87 witnesses, including residing students, neighbours and locals during the probe.The chargesheet names building owners Hari Ram Gupta and his wife Urmila Gupta, their son Mahesh Gupta, labour contractor Sanoj Kumar, and PG operators Sudhanshu Lavnish Kumar and Shubham Tyagi as accused, according to a senior official close to the development. The police examined 87 witnesses, including residing students, neighbours and locals, during the investigation.The police have placed the responsibility for the construction and repair work at the property on the six accused, alleging that the work was carried out while students continued to reside inside the building, exposing them to serious safety risks.An FIR was registered at the South Campus police station following the September 6 collapse.The police have invoked several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Section 125(a) (rash or negligent acts endangering human life or personal safety), Section 3(5) (acts committed by several persons in furtherance of their common intention) and Section 290 (negligent conduct during the construction or repair of buildings).Other provisions invoked include Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 324(2) (mischief causing damage to public or private property) and Section 324(4) (mischief causing loss or damage to property).The September 6 collapse occurred at a five-storey building housing a boys PG accommodation in Satya Niketan, a hub for students of Delhi University’s South Campus.The building, an ageing structure that had undergone several alterations over the years, had a basement and four floors. The investigation revealed that illegal excavation in the basement had compromised the structure. The work was being carried out to level the basement with the ground floor, for which around three truckloads of debris had been dumped inside. Investigators found that a wall obstructing the space earmarked for a shop on the ground floor was also removed on the day of the incident to create additional space. The building could not withstand the resulting structural stress and collapsed.Officials said investigation also revealed that the PG operators remained indifferent to the construction work despite knowing that it could affect the structural stability of the entire building.The collapse had also raised questions about the safety of student accommodation in the area, where several residential properties have been converted into PG facilities. Published - November 06, 2026 01:17 am IST