Delhi hostel manager rushed to collapse site, fled fearing students: Police

According to the police, after completing his graduation in 2019, Sudhanshu searched for a job but could not find one. He and his friend from college, Shubham Tyagi, subsequently decided to start the PG accommodation business.

“Since 2022, Sudhanshu, along with Shubham Tyagi, started operating PG accommodations in Satya Niketan under the name Hostel Daze. At present, he runs seven PGs in the vicinity. Four floors of the building were taken on lease by him and Shubham last August in lieu of Rs 1.05 lakh per month,” said DCP Amit Goel.

Sources in the police said the rent charged by these PGs ranged from around Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000 per person, depending on the kind of accommodation and facilities offered.

Sudhanshu was in charge of installing the 16-bed facility with amenities, looking after maintenance, and overseeing the repair and construction work needed at the 50-year-old building that collapsed. He was the main person prospective tenants met when they came looking for rooms, sources in the police said.

They added that Sudhanshu took the building on rent as it was being offered at a lesser price than the usual market price, primarily due to its poor condition.

Sudhanshu, police further said, was also allegedly in charge of getting the rent agreement signed, which mentioned that the PG owners are not responsible for any casualty or death of students residing there.

The rental agreement, accessed by The Indian Express, appears to absolve the owners of responsibility for risks to students’ lives. It also gives the management the power to ask students to vacate their rooms at its discretion, without citing a legitimate reason.

Police said Sudhanshu is being questioned to ascertain details of his whereabouts on the day of incident, and how he managed the property.

Sudhanshu is the fifth person to be arrested in connection with the collapse that killed seven people.

The owner of the building, Hari Ram, his son Mahesh, wife Urmila, and labour contractor Saroj were arrested earlier in the case.

“The owners allegedly knew that the building wouldn’t be able to bear the weight of four additional floors. And yet, they decided to give the construction a go-ahead and lease it out to a PG company,” a senior officer said.