The Delhi High Court on Monday agreed to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) petition concerning the collapse of a multi-storey Paying Guest (PG) building in South West Delhi's Satya Niketan..The PIL filed by one Aniket Kumar Gupta has sought ₹1 crore compensation for the kin of the victims of the collapse besides a structural audit of all PG accommodations/ hostels. The plea was mentioned for urgent hearing before a Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Karia. According to reports, at least six people have died in the building collapse near Delhi University‘s South Campus. An FIR has been registered against the person who ran the PG accommodation. Gupta in the PIL said that preliminary reports indicate that repair, renovation or construction-related work was allegedly being undertaken in the building immediately before the collapse. "Questions have arisen regarding the legality of such work, the structural integrity of the premises, compliance with sanctioned building plans, use of the premises as a PG/hostel, existence of structural stability certifications, fire safety compliance and the adequacy of inspections conducted by the concerned statutory authorities," the plea said.Besides compensation to the kin, the petitioner has sought an independent and comprehensive investigation into the causes leading to the collapse, including the role of owners, builders, contractors, architects, structural engineers, persons involved in renovation work and public authorities responsible for inspection and enforcement of building regulations.He has also sought an immediate comprehensive structural safety audit of all PGs, hostels and student accommodation premises in Satya Niketan, and in other major student accommodation clusters of Delhi.
