Contractor held in Delhi building collapse; CM meets injured, announces aid

A labour contractor was apprehended from Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the collapse of a five-storey building in Delhi's Satya Niketan that left seven people dead, as investigators scrutinised construction and repair work at the building and a rent agreement that reportedly disclaimed liability for tenant casualty, police said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who visited the AIIMS Trauma Centre on Tuesday and met the families of students affected by the building collapse, announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the injured.

AIIMS in a statement said, "Of the four patients admitted, two patients, Aditya and Nitish Chib, have been discharged after receiving treatment. Neeraj Bawa remains admitted in the ICU and is in critical condition, while Asgar Ali is stable."

The compensation for the kin of those who died in the tragedy will be announced soon, sources from Gupta's office said.

The chief minister has directed the municipal corporation to conduct a safety review of PGs across the city, including checks of building safety, requisite permissions, Fire Safety NOCs, and structural stability certificates.

The contractor, Sanoj, was on his way to Delhi for questioning in connection with the construction and repair work carried out at the building housing the Hostel Daze PG, the police said.

On Monday, a Delhi court sent building owner Hariram, an 81-year-old retired Indian Air Force sergeant, and his 75-year-old wife Urmila to 14 days' judicial custody, while their 52-year-old son Mahesh was remanded to police custody for two days.

"During the investigation, Mahesh told police that he used to look after the maintenance of the building on behalf of his parents," a police officer said.

The building had been leased to the PG operator Hostel Daze in August 2025, he said.

According to the police, the basement had been undergoing repairs for the past eight to 10 days after waste and water accumulated there over days of rain.

The ground floor was also being repaired for an extension, allegedly for commercial purposes.

The police said the family learned about the collapse from locals and decamped to Mahesh's in-laws' house in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan.

The collapse occurred at around 1.15 pm on Sunday, and police received information about it at around 1.34 pm.

A case in connection with the collapse was registered on the complaint of Assistant Sub-Inspector Praful Toppo, a source said.

According to the FIR, the entire building had collapsed by the time police reached the spot, with several people trapped under the debris. The structure comprised a ground floor and four upper floors and housed several students and other residents.

A local enquiry mentioned in the FIR found that the building was several years old and that its owners, Hariram and his brother, had constructed additional floors allegedly for rental income.

The FIR states that the new construction had put pressure on the existing structure and that the owners knew its foundation could not bear the additional load.

Investigators are also examining a rent agreement issued to occupants of the PG. According to a police source, the agreement states that the PG operators would not be responsible for any "casualties or risk" to tenants.

It also purportedly says the hostel would not be liable to pay compensation for personal injury, loss or damage to belongings caused by circumstances beyond its control, including sealing, fire, earthquake, heavy rain and other natural calamities.

The agreement states that tenants leaving before the stipulated period would not be entitled to a refund of hostel fees or security money, and registration money paid for booking a PG seat was non-refundable.

It also gave the operators the power to immediately evict a tenant for indiscipline, misconduct, breach of rules, disrespect towards authorities, non-payment of dues or misbehaviour with wardens, staff or other students.

Parents and guardians were also barred from entering tenants' rooms, according to the document.

The tragedy has triggered anger and fear among students living in the South Campus area, who have raised concerns over high rents, cramped accommodation and the safety of PG buildings.

Education Minister Ashish Sood said the government would bring a policy and a web portal within 30-45 days to regulate PGs and coaching institutes.

The proposed system would include details of PG accommodations, their availability, facilities and safety norms on a common portal.