Delhi Police Arrest Building Owner and Family After Collapse Kills Seven

Delhi Police apprehended the owner, his wife, and their son

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have arrested the alleged owner of the building that collapsed in Satya Niketan, along with his wife and son, in connection with the incident that left seven people dead. Police identified the three as Hariram Gupta, his wife Urmila and their son Mahesh. According to Delhi Police, the electricity connection of the building was in Hariram's name, while the property was registered on paper in the name of his wife, Urmila. Their son Mahesh was handling the management of the property, news agency ANI reported.

Hariram was earlier apprehended in Bhiwadi

Hariram had earlier been apprehended in Bhiwadi after he remained untraceable following the building collapse. Delhi Police had formed 10 teams comprising personnel from district police, the Special Staff and other operational units to trace him. An FIR had also been registered against him and a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued. The collapse has claimed seven lives, while 13 people were rescued from the debris. Rescue operations continued at the site as teams searched for any remaining victims.

Five MCD officials suspended after collapse

Following the collapse, the Delhi government suspended five MCD officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of the South Zone, Superintending Engineer, Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer. MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar said an adjoining building had also weakened and was being strengthened before being demolished in a calibrated manner over the next one to two days. “In August, we had passed demolition orders for 3-4 buildings in the same area. A regular identification is conducted. In the last three months, 960 demolitions were carried out, 407 buildings were sealed, and notices were served to 1,500 buildings for sealing and demolition,” Khirwar said. He said the action was part of the MCD's regular drive against unauthorised construction.

Protests, demands for safer PG accommodation

The collapse triggered protests by students affiliated with the NSUI and ABVP, who demanded accountability and stronger safety measures for students living in paying guest accommodations. Jhanvi Kataria, a DUSU 2026 election candidate, demanded construction of hostels for students and said the government should bear their PG and flat rents until land is allocated for such facilities. She also pointed to a similar building collapse in the area three years ago and questioned why adequate precautions had not been taken to prevent a recurrence. Congress leader Srinivas BV accused the government of delaying its response to the collapse and alleged that government rescue teams took three hours to reach the site. He claimed NSUI members helped rescue people before official teams arrived.

Adjoining structures evacuated amid safety concerns

The incident also raised concerns over the safety of neighbouring structures. Authorities evacuated buildings in the vicinity after cracks were reported in some structures, while iron jacks were installed to support nearby buildings. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directed officials to immediately seal illegal five-storey buildings across Delhi and ordered intensive inspections of PG accommodations and other buildings in the area. The government has said strict action will be taken against MCD officials found responsible for any lapses. (With agency inputs)

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