Delhi building collapse: Two-day police custody for owner’s son, PG operator, contractor - The Hindu

**Delhi building collapse: police place owner’s son, PG operator and contractor in two‑day custody**

A three‑storey residential building in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of Delhi collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and injuring several others. The structure, which housed a paying‑guest (PG) facility on the ground floor, gave way after a sudden crack appeared in a load‑bearing wall, prompting residents to flee before the roof gave way. Rescue teams from the Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force and local hospitals worked through the night, pulling survivors from the rubble and confirming the death of a young man from Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh – whose father later complained that Delhi University had not contacted him regarding the tragedy.

Following the incident, Delhi’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate remanded three individuals to police custody for two days each: the son of the building’s owner, the operator of the PG establishment, and the contractor who oversaw recent renovation work. Investigators have seized construction documents and are probing whether illegal modifications or substandard materials contributed to the collapse. The police have also registered a FIR under sections of the Indian Penal Code that pertain to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and criminal negligence.

The collapse reignites public anger over a string of structural failures in the capital, including a similar incident just three months earlier that also claimed lives. Residents and activists have pointed to systemic lapses in building inspections, delayed enforcement of safety norms and a “culture of impunity,” as echoed in a recent blog by a former Satya Niketan tenant who described the neighbourhood’s deteriorating infrastructure. City officials have pledged a comprehensive audit of high‑rise buildings and an accelerated rollout of the Delhi Building Safety Initiative, but families of the victims continue to demand swift justice and transparent answers.