BREAKING: 5 More Arrested in Delhi Coaching Centre Tragedy, Total Reaches 7

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday, July 29, arrested five more people in connection with the death of three students due to waterlogging and a flooded basement coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar. With this, the overall number of people arrested reaches seven.

DCP (central) M Harsha Vardhan told ANI, "Whoever is at fault in this incident will not be spared. We are taking strict action against those responsible for the incident and maintaining law and order in the area."

"The arrested persons include the owners of the basement and an individual who drove a vehicle that appears to have damaged the gate of the building," the DCP added.

Earlier, two people were arrested including Abhishek Gupta (owner of the building) and Deshpal Singh (Coordinator at the centre) were arrested on Sunday and have been sent to a 14-day custody.

The police have registered cases under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 106(1) (death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), 115(2) (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing, or constructing buildings) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

This comes as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sealed the basements of 13 coaching centres in Karol Bagh on Sunday for violating building bylaws amid protests by aspirants over the negligence.

'This Tragedy Could Have Been Averted': Students Blame 'Biometric' For Deaths

Students have suggested 'biometric systems' as a contributing factor to the incident, claiming that the situation could have been prevented.

Manisha Kumar, a student told ANI, “... What happened on 27 July was that the biometric got blocked, because of which students got trapped inside when the basement was being flooded with water. This tragedy could have been averted... Alternatives of biometrics need to be ensured so that another such tragedy can be averted...”

"Entry and exits of most of the buildings here are controlled by biometrics. In case of an emergency or unforeseen incident, there is no balcony in the entire building, and there is no way to rescue any occupants of a building in case of a fire. We will not be able to escape and no one will be able to enter the building without a biometric... Who will be held accountable for our life and safety?... Access to 70-75% of libraries in the region is controlled by biometrics and the libraries are located in basements..."