New Delhi: A pall of gloom has descended on Rajinder Nagar as three students tragically lost their lives after floodwaters inundated the Rau’s IAS Study Centre. The incident has sparked serious concern among the students, who allege that municipal negligence led to the deaths of their friends. They are questioning the authorities’ preparedness for even minor rains, citing, “We had complained to the councillor about the poor drainage system in the area 12 days ago.” The students believe the tragedy could have been averted with prompt action.
Demanding accountability, students are calling for answers from the councillor and other government officials. The police have detained the owner and coordinator of the study centre in connection with the incident. The deceased have been identified as Taniya Soni (25) from Telangana, Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, and Nevin Dalvin (28) from Kerala.
AAP MP Swati Maliwal visited the site and criticized the authorities for their negligence and the delayed response, noting that officials had not arrived even 12 hours after the incident. However, students at the scene urged her not to politicize the tragedy, chanting, “Swati Maliwal, go back.”
According to police, over 18 students were present when the basement was flooded due to heavy rains on Saturday evening. Despite the basement gate being closed, water forced its way in as the flood intensity increased. CCTV footage of the incident is currently under review.
Meanwhile, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy expressed sorrow over the death of Taniya Soni and assured her father in Secunderabad that arrangements are being made to bring her body back at the earliest.