Express Impact: Delhi High Court fury over 7 deaths in building collapse, calls it ‘criminal conduct’

Five students were among seven killed when the building, which housed a private hostel, collapsed on September 6.

The court will hear the petition next on September 25, along with another batch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the incidentThe court will hear the petition next on September 25, along with another batch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the incident. (File Photo)

Referring to the deaths of students in the building collapse in South Delhi’s Satya Niketan earlier this month, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday said their “hopes and dreams” had been shattered by “callous, criminal conduct”.

Five students were among seven killed when the building, which housed a private hostel, collapsed on September 6.

Hearing a PIL on the matter, Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya pointed to a report published in The Indian Express on Wednesday.

“You need to read this one complete page article today published in The Indian Express. This is about four students who lost their lives. Very tragic. Everyone should read it. It is not an ordinary incident of a mishap. These four students had come to the Capital city with lots of hopes, dreams, coming from small towns. That all has been shattered by such callous, criminal conduct,” he told Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, who represented the Delhi government.

On Wednesday, The Indian Express carried a full-page report on the journeys of the five students who died in the building collapse — from small towns to the Capital, hoping the city would help them spread their wings.

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“Who does not know the problem of hostels in this city since 15-20 years at least, even before that. Students are flocking to Delhi for higher education. This is not a new phenomenon, it has been happening since the past 20-25 years, in the hope that they will be able to build their career. See what has happened,” the bench, which included Justice Tejas Karia, said.

ASG Sharma told the court that the government has “very proactively earmarked a lot of land, building, water, electricity, WiFi etc… it was in the papers today.”

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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced that her government would build hostels for 10,000 college and university students.

The Indian Express on Wednesday also reported on how several Delhi University hostel projects are stalled or crawling.

The PIL sought a public, online registry of authorised paying guest and hostel facilities, with sanctioned building plans, occupancy limits, fire safety certifications and inspection records accessible to students and their families.

The court will hear the petition next on September 25, along with another batch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the incident, framing of policy and guidelines for regulating paying guest/ hostel accommodation, and for building on-campus residence facilities.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

 

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