NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi president Saurabh Bhardwaj on Tuesday alleged that senior BJP leaders were the “real owners” of paying guest (PG) accommodations in Satya Niketan, days after a five-storey building housing a PG collapsed in the area, killing seven people.Bhardwaj also alleged that the Delhi government had not released a list of PG owners in Satya Niketan despite repeated demands, and said such a list would expose what he called the “PG mafia”.“The real owners of the PGs in Satya Niketan are senior BJP leaders. We have been repeatedly asking Rekha Gupta why she is not releasing the list detailing the owners of these PGs. Once that list is released, the entire PG mafia will be exposed before you.”
FIR flags additional floors, construction work
Delhi Police have registered an FIR in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse, alleging that additional floors had been constructed on the old structure despite concerns over its load-bearing capacity and that further construction work was underway.According to the FIR, the incident took place around 1pm, while police received information at about 1.34pm, news agency ANI reported.The caller reported that a building being used as a PG had collapsed and that students were inside.ASI Praful Toppo, the complainant, said police reached the spot and found the entire building collapsed, with several people gathered around it.A local inquiry found that PG accommodation was being operated from the ground-plus-four-storey building, where several students and other people were residing. Some were trapped after the sudden collapse, the FIR said.
Four injured taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre
The FIR said senior police officers, the district crime team, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) personnel, fire brigade teams, rescue teams and ambulances were rushed to the site.Four people identified as Neeraj, 19, son of Gyanchand; Aaditya Kumar, son of Raju Kunar; Krishna, son of BK Bhardwaj; and four unidentified persons were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for medical examination, according to the police document.
Police probe owners’ role in construction
The FIR further alleged, based on a local inquiry, that the building was several years old and that its owners had constructed four upper floors allegedly for rental income.It also stated that new construction was underway and allegedly placed additional pressure on the structure.Police alleged that the construction was carried out despite the owners being aware that the existing foundation could not bear the additional weight, thereby potentially endangering lives.The investigation is being conducted by Inspector Narender Kumar, ANI reported.The FIR comes amid the ongoing investigation into the September 6 collapse, in which seven people were killed.(With agency inputs)
