Delhi drowning deaths : HC seeks CBI reply over interim bail to coaching centre officials

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the CBI’s stand on a plea against the interim bail to the CEO and coordinator of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, where three civil aspirants drowned in the building’s basement.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma issued notice to the probe agency and coaching centre’s CEO Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh on a plea by the father of one student who drowned.

The trial court granted the reprieve to the two men on September 23. Three civil service aspirants -- Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana and Nevin Delvin (24) from Kerala -- died after the basement of the building housing Rau’s IAS Study Circle was flooded following heavy rains in central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar on July 27.

J Dalvin Suresh, father of Nevin Delvin, sought the high court’s direction to set aside the interim bail and send the duo to CBI custody. The men were granted the interim bail after over 54 days in custody, when the trial court observed the owners of the premises were already on interim bail.

Their relief was recently extended till January 31, 2025.

Principal district and sessions judge Anju Bajaj Chandna also directed Gupta to deposit Rs 2.5 crore till November 30 with the Red Cross Society, observing as per the lease agreement of the premises, the accused being the lessee and the CEO of the institute alone would be responsible for any loss claim and damages to any person or material. The judge said Gupta and Singh, being CEO and coordinator, respectively, were in control of the institute’s affairs. The matter would be heard next in January, 2025.