The Delhi High Court on Friday criticised Delhi University over its response on the issue of adding additional hostel facilities for students as “absolutely vague” while hearing various petitions on the September 6 Satya Niketan multi-storey building collapse in which seven persons, including five students, lost their lives.
The court made stern remarks on the question of building new hostels for students.
A counsel for one of the petitioners pointed out that DU’s affidavit showed that only 5,698 students were being provided hostel accommodation, even as nearly 1.3 lakh students regularly attend classes. The Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia then stated: “You (DU) are only giving figures, as against the students’ strength of more than a lakh, you are giving hostel facilities to a few thousand. And then you say that you are taking steps. What are those steps?”
“From which corner are you not getting cooperation? Tell us,” it added.
The DU counsel said the university would file a “better affidavit”.
During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the civic agency and the Delhi police, shared details of the action taken by the MCD and the police following the collapse.
Multiple inquiries
He said the Delhi government had commissioned a magisterial inquiry to look into the incident, as well as issues such as the validity of permissions, compliance with building by-laws and the role of the concerned officials.
The Delhi government had also constituted a high-powered committee on student accommodation and safety to examine issues relating to student accommodation and safety in Delhi and to recommend appropriate, time-bound measures, Mr. Mehta added.
On the Satya Niketan tragedy, the MCD said the exact cause of the collapse could not be ascertained. It, however, said that the downpour before September 6 “could have weakened” the old structure. The civic agency added that it had carried out a detailed inspection of about 300 properties in the students’ hub and found 101 housing PGs.
PGs vacated
“Of these, three properties were declared dangerous, and the PGs in them were vacated. Ten properties were identified as vulnerable and requiring major repairs, while 14 were found to require minor repairs,” the MCD told the court, which listed the matter for hearing on October 14.
Published – September 26, 2026 02:00 am IST
