The collapse of a PG hostel in Delhi's Satya Niketan is a grim tale of alleged greed, with the owners accused of adding floors to a decades-old building despite knowing that its foundation was too weak to bear the additional load.
The FIR registered in the case states that the owners, Hariram Bansal alias Gupta and his brother, allegedly constructed four additional floors on top of the old structure, driven by the desire to earn more through rental income.
The building, named 'HostelDaze' PG, was a ground-plus-four-storey structure when it came crashing down on Sunday, killing seven people and injuring several others.
The building was 50 years old. The Gupta family recently had it repaired and turned it into a paying-guest facility to leverage the area's proximity to Delhi University.
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According to the FIR, the owners were aware that the building's old foundation was not capable of bearing the additional weight. Despite this, construction of the additional floors was allegedly allowed to proceed.
The FIR states that the additional floors and construction placed immense stress on the building's structural integrity and load-bearing capacity, pushing the decades-old structure beyond its limits.
The result was catastrophic.The building suddenly collapsed, trapping several people under the debris.
The building collapsed as construction work was underway in the basement. Rainwater also flooded the basement.
At least 12 people were pulled out of the rubble between Sunday and Monday evening. Seven of them died.
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Five Students Among 7 Dead
Five of those killed were students:
- Abhishek, 20
- Yuvraj Soni, 20
- Pawan, 17
- Arpit Jajaj, 19
- Akshat Singh Yadav, 18
A 75-year-old labourer, Surinder Singh, also died. The identity of the seventh victim has not yet been established.
Seven died and 5 were injured in the building collapse
Five Injured Still Under Treatment
Five people injured in the collapse-Asgar Ali, 30; Neeraj Bawan, 19; Aditya Kumar, 19; Nitish Chib, 19; and Mohammad Ayan, 18-are undergoing treatment at the AIIMS Trauma Centre and Safdarjung Hospital.
Three of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
FIR And Charges
FIR No. 153/2026 was registered at the South Campus Police Station on Sunday night.
Police have invoked Sections 105, 290 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The sections relate to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligence in the demolition, repair or construction of buildings, and acts endangering the life or personal safety of others.
The Delhi Police have arrested 81-year-old Hariram Gupta, along with his wife and son, in connection with the case. Gupta is reportedly a retired Sergeant of the Indian Air Force.
The allegations in the FIR now raise a larger question: how did a building whose foundation was allegedly known to be weak continue to be expanded, seemingly at the cost of basic safety, to maximise rental income?
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