The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said the multi-storey hostel building collapse in Satya Niketan, which resulted in the death of seven persons including students, was not an ordinary mishap.

A Bench of Chief Justice D. K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the four students who died came to the nation’s capital from small towns with hopes of building a career, but these were “shattered” due to the “callous and criminal conduct” of certain persons.

“Four students lost their lives in the mishap…very tragic. It’s not an ordinary incident of any mishap. These four students had come to the capital with a lot of hopes and dreams, coming from small towns. All of that was shattered by such callous and criminal conduct on the part of (certain persons),” the court orally remarked.

The building at Satya Niketan, which housed a boys’ paying-guest accommodation near the Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed on September 6 while repair work was underway. Several people were also injured in the collapse.

Lack of hostels

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said that several steps have been taken by the authorities after the incident, including proactive mapping and earmarking of land and other facilities for students.

The Bench, however, responded that the issue of lack of hostel facilities was not a “new phenomenon”.

“Who doesn’t know the problem of hostels in the city? Students are flocking to Delhi for higher education, and this is not a new phenomenon. It has been happening for the last 20-25 years in the hope that they will build their career. See what has happened,” the Bench remarked.

The court was hearing a petition by Aakarshak Danveer Rathi seeking an independent probe into the matter, inspection of all paying guests as well as compensation and a rehabilitation scheme for victims and their families.

The court said the petition would be heard along with another pending petition on September 25.

The court on September 7 ordered a high-level MCD inquiry into the incident and made it clear that the government cannot evade responsibility.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed officials to conduct inspections of all paying guest (PG) accommodations in the national capital and take action against illegal constructions, the CM’s Office (CMO) said on Wednesday (September 9, 2026).

Authorities have been asked to scrutinise building records to determine exactly when the illegal construction took place and under whose jurisdiction, according to the CMO.

The directions come in the aftermath of the collapse of a building in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday (September 6, 2026), which killed at least seven people and brought the issue of illegal construction and building safety into focus. A PG operator has been arrested in connection with the collapse.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has launched a crackdown on illegal constructions, including carrying out demolition action. CM Gupta has asked officials to ensure that all senior civic officials remain on the ground during the enforcement drive.

Action against illegal constructions was carried out in several parts of the city on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) as part of the drive, officials added.

According to civic body data updated till Tuesday (September 8, 2026), demolition action was taken against 24 properties and seven illegal structures were sealed following the Satya Niketan building collapse.

Overall, between June 1 and September 8, the MCD carried out demolition action against 1,007 properties and sealed 471 others. During the period, it had issued 3018 show-cause notices — 1,551 for unauthorised construction, 714 for sealing and 753 for demolition, according to the data.

Earlier, Ms. Gupta and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu had directed authorities to inspect PG accommodation hubs, particularly buildings that have prima facie violated prescribed height and floor restrictions. The L-G had also directed that structural audits of all buildings in PG hubs be completed within a week.

The building collapse in Satya Niketan also led to administrative action against civic officials, with five MCD engineers, including the deputy commissioner of the South Zone, being suspended.

With inputs from PTI

A day after the Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Police concluded search and rescue operations at the site of the Satya Niketan PG collapse, over 150 Delhi University students began an indefinite protest on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), claiming that several students were still unaccounted for and demanding that the government release complete data on the incident.

The students alleged that the authorities were underreporting the number of deaths in the collapse, which killed seven people and injured five others.

“There are at least three to four students who are currently unaccounted for. There could be more. Their parents visited AIIMS and Safdarjung hospitals and did not find their children there. We are trying to get the whereabouts of these students,” said Unnayan, an AISA representative.

“There is a basement which has not been evacuated yet. There might still be labourers inside,” he alleged.

The students also claimed that the families and friends of some victims were being allowed into the AIIMS Trauma Centre, adding to the confusion and distress surrounding the incident.

Their demands include ₹1 crore compensation for each victim’s family, safety audits of all PG accommodations, action including jail against those responsible for violations, and hostel facilities for students.

Students pack up

Meanwhile, the lanes of Satya Niketan, usually crowded with students, were dotted with suitcases, large bags and other belongings as hundreds of students began vacating PG accommodations following directions to remove occupants from unsafe buildings.

Several students said those living in PG buildings with four or more floors were being asked to vacate first as such structures were expected to face demolition as part of the action against illegal constructions.

At several PGs, students who were away when the collapse occurred had friends or relatives arrive to collect their belongings.

“My niece got admission to Maitreyi College a month ago, and she shifted to a PG here. Her parents are in Guwahati and they could not come here so quickly from such a distance. I got a call from them and that is why we came to take her and her things back,” a relative said.

Some students alleged that even after vacating their accommodations, they had not received their security deposits or refunds for outstanding rent.

The exodus has added to the uncertainty among students living in the densely packed neighbourhood, where a large number of PG accommodations cater to students from Delhi University’s South Campus. For many, the immediate concern is finding a safe place to stay even as questions remain over the structural safety of other buildings in the area.

The street from Delhi University’s (DU) Arts Faculty towards Vijay Nagar, a student hub, is dotted with posters advertising rooms for as little as ₹3,500 in Christian Colony.

One such room is where Rahul, 25, a PhD student, lives. He turned into a narrow lane and climbed an unlit staircase to reach it. Barely six feet wide, the room is typical of the cramped spaces in Christian Colony where students find accommodation at relatively low rents.

“This area is like a slum full of DU students. People live here only because they cannot afford anything else,” said Mr. Rahul.

A stone’s throw from the university’s North Campus and several prominent colleges, Christian Colony offers some of the cheapest accommodation in the area. Rooms measuring about six feet by 12 feet are available for ₹3,000 to ₹3,500 a month. Slightly larger rooms cost about ₹4,000 and are often shared by two students. Five or six such rooms typically share a common washroom.

Almost all the students living in the area whom The Hindu spoke to said they were worried about their safety after the building collapse in Satya Niketan near the university’s South Campus, which killed seven persons. Students said they were forced to live here as there are very few seats in college hostels and other options are too expensive.

‘Everyone is scared’

In the colony, most buildings are four-storey structures and are cemented to adjacent buildings, sharing a common wall from top to bottom.

When asked if he feels safe in the building, Mr. Rahul said, “Everyone is scared and has been checking with others whether their building has pillars. In my building, I can’t spot any. My friend said his building doesn’t have any and he is scared.”

Mr. Rahul said he had been living in the colony for the past three years and had lived in even worse rooms. “I lived in a room in B Block for two years where I paid a rent of ₹3,000. But it was in a bad condition. Small bits of plaster from the roof fell down many times and once fell on my head too,” said Mr. Rahul, whose father is a farmer back in his village in Bihar.

Mostly students residing in the colony are from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and the northeastern States.

‘No space to run’

Piyush, 23, a master’s student, climbed an even narrower staircase with a railing to reach a slightly bigger room on the second floor of a building.

“Apart from fees, my family sends me about ₹6,000 every month, from which I have to pay ₹2,000 rent, pay for food and do everything else. I cannot afford a better room in Vijay Nagar, which will cost about ₹8,000 per month,” Mr. Piyush, a native of Kishanganj in Bihar, said.

Mr. Piyush said that the streets are so narrow that if something happens, there will be no space to even run.

Sonu Kumar, 22, who is also a master’s student, pays ₹3,500 a month for a room in the colony and used to share a room by paying around ₹2,000 a month. “Forget ventilation; even sunlight doesn’t reach our rooms. Students live here only because it is cheap,” he said, adding, “Why would anyone want to live in a dabba jaisa (box-like) room?”

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) said it would consider on September 10 issues related to Delhi’s Satya Niketan building collapse and, if necessary, it may transfer the case already dealt with by the High Court in Delhi.

The Supreme Court, which is already dealing with issues related to unauthorised constructions in residential areas, fire safety and conversion of residential into commercial establishments in violation of norms across India, was urged to take up urgently the matter related to the Sunday incident which left seven students dead.

A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahdevan said the issues dealt with by the High Court are “serious” and overlap with the case already considered by the Supreme Court on a pan-India basis.

“We have something in mind. We will consider this issue day-after-tomorrow. This is a serious issue. The issues dealt with by the High Court are overlapping with one considered by this Court on pan-India basis,” the bench said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi government, termed the incident as “most unfortunate” and said, “Our heart goes out to the children and the parents”.

He brought to the notice of the Court that the Delhi High Court was already hearing a PIL on the issue and placed on record the order passed on Monday (September 7, 2026).

At the outset, senior advocate Ajit Sinha, amicus curiae appointed in the matter considered by the Supreme Court, said in view of the recent tragic incident, they have inspected the site along with a professor from IIT and MCD officials and filed a status report in this regard.

He urged the Court to take up the matter urgently so that necessary directions can be passed.

The Supreme Court has already issued numerous directions to authorities on issues related to unauthorised constructions in residential areas, fire safety and conversion of residential into commercial establishments in violation of norms.

The Delhi High Court on Monday (September 7, 2026) ordered a high-level MCD inquiry into the incident and made it clear that the government cannot evade responsibility. It termed the incident “most unfortunate” and said such tragedies are a result of inadequate measures employed by the MCD and other authorities.

On Monday (September 7, 2026), the over 27-hour rescue operation at the Satya Niketan building collapse site here concluded with seven people dead and five injured. The building owner, his wife and son were arrested, while five MCD officials have been suspended.

The five-storey building housing a boys’ paying guest accommodation near Delhi University’s South Campus collapsed around 1.30 pm on Sunday (September 6, 2026).

The death toll in the collapse of a building housing students in the Satya Niketan area rose to seven on Monday, even as the Delhi High Court expressed deep concern over the safety of students living in similar paying guest (PG) accommodations across the national capital and directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to inspect all PG hostels under its jurisdiction within a week.

The Delhi Police arrested Hariram Gupta, 82, a retired Indian Air Force sergeant, his wife Urmila Gupta, 75, and their son Mahesh Gupta, 52. While the property was registered in Mrs. Gupta’s name, the men’s PG was allegedly being run by her husband and sun, police said. A search is ongoing for those operating the PG and the labour contractors that were carrying out repair work in the building’s basement. “Their role will also be examined in the case and accordingly action will be taken,” said Amit Goel, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South West.

Five officials of the MCD, the civic body responsible for issuing PG licenses and enforcing building norms, were suspended. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government is exploring a policy to govern buildings used for several purposes, including PG accommodations.

Delhi building collapse: Follow LIVE updates on August 7, 2026

Shortage of hostels

In the High Court, a bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the deaths raised serious concerns about the safety of students living in PG accommodations and the acute shortage of hostel facilities for outstation students in Delhi. The deceased students hailed from several States, including Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.

The court directed the MCD to ascertain whether PG buildings in its jurisdiction had been constructed with valid permissions, whether they complied with building bye-laws, and whether any violations had taken place.

The High Court said the responsibility for the incident could not, prima facie, be confined to the property owner, as the role of university authorities and the MCD also required examination. It directed the civic body to conduct its inspection at the highest executive level and fix responsibility public servants if the collapsed building was found to have been constructed without authorisation.

Threat to students’ lives

“These PGs are not only very dangerous, they are causing threat to the lives, security to these students,” the Bench observed, stressing the need for greater hostel capacity for students coming to Delhi from across the country.

The court directed Delhi University to provide details of the number of such outstation students enrolled in its affiliated colleges and the number and capacity of hostels run by the university or the government. It questioned the absence of adequate hostel facilities, saying the shortage left students with little option but to depend on PGs and private hostels. The court also sought details of any statutory provisions governing PG accommodations in Delhi, while emphasising the need for a regulatory framework.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that the State government was actively monitoring the situation and that no stone would be left unturned in the rescue operations.

The case will next be heard on September 25.

Three in critical condition

Over the course of the 28-hour rescue operation, at least 12 people were brought to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, while three were taken to Safdarjung hospital for treatment. At AIIMS, six people were brought dead, while one more person later succumbed to his injuries. At least three are said to be in a critical condition, the official statement from the hospital said. One person admitted is stable and receiving treatment, while another person was discharged on Sunday itself. The three patients at Safdarjung Hospital were also reported to be stable.

The rescue work was declared complete at 5 p.m. on Monday, with agencies saying the debris had been removed entirely from the site. The mortal remains of those deceased were handed over the family members, the police said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress on Monday (September 7) protested against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the building collapse in Satya Niketan that killed seven people. 

AAP staged a protest in Satya Niketan, demanding that the BJP government release a list of people who own paying guest (PG) accommodation in the area. 

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned who was operating the “PG mafia”, why action was not being taken against illegal PGs and whether influential BJP leaders had financial interests in them. He asked how Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) engineers or police personnel could act against illegal PGs if powerful political figures were running them. 

Mr. Bharadwaj alleged that people on social media had, since Sunday, been claiming that several senior BJP leaders owned properties in the area. “The exploitation of students through expensive PG accommodations, and the MCD’s failure to act against it, is linked to the fact that influential leaders have invested heavily in properties there,” he said. 

He said suspending a single Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner would not solve the problem. “The names of influential BJP leaders whose money is invested here, resulting in the exploitation of students, must be made public,” he said. 

Mr. Bharadwaj also said the Central government must build hostels for students in the area. “Until hostels are constructed and allotted to students, the government should pay students’ PG fees. Only then will the government have an incentive to build hostels quickly, otherwise, it will not,” he said. 

‘Justice for victims’

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav staged a sit-in at the site of the collapse, demanding justice for the injured and the families of those killed. 

Mr. Yadav alleged that corruption in the BJP-led system was responsible for the collapse. He questioned who had permitted repairs to be carried out in the basement of the 50-year-old, five-storey building without safety arrangements after the basement was flooded, and alleged administrative irresponsibility and corruption. 

“The Congress’s protest against the Rekha Gupta government will continue till strict action is taken against the culprits and justice is done to the injured and the families of the deceased students. Municipal Commissioner should resign taking responsibility for the collapse as repeat of such mishaps happen due to corruption in the MCD, from top to bottom,” Mr. Yadav said. 

Govt. responds

Responding to the Opposition’s allegations, Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood said, “We are concerned about the safety of the children and about fixing the rotten system that the ‘A-team’ and ‘B-team’ have built up within this administration over the last 27 years. The focus must be on what action needs to be taken.”

A total of 11 people have been rescued so far from the debris of a five-storey building collapse in South West Delhi’s Satya Niketan, with the death toll reaching six, the Delhi Police said in its latest update on Monday (September 7, 2026).

One more person was rescued during the overnight rescue operations but was brought dead, taking the death toll to six, Delhi Police said.

Efforts are ongoing to trace the persons allegedly connected to the incident, the police added.

The building, which housed a boys’ paying guest accommodation near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed around 1.30 p.m. on Sunday (September 6) while repair work was underway.

Multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force and Delhi Disaster Management Authority, have been carrying out rescue operations through the night.

An FIR under Sections 105, 290 and 125 (a) BNS have been registered against the building owner Hariram Bansal and others. The building houses a PG accommodation named Hostel Daze. Locals said the building, which comprises a basement plus five more floors, is at least 50 years old.

(with inputs from PTI)

While 12 people were located and rescued from the rubble after the Satya Niketan building collapse, a search continued till late on Sunday night for several others whose whereabouts remained unknown, with friends and families awaiting information. 

Students across Delhi University (DU) shared names and photographs and made calls to trace missing friends. Sagar of Motilal Nehru College sought help tracing two friends who lived in the collapsed paying guest (PG) accommodation. 

Students from nearby colleges also joined rescue efforts, helping remove bricks and debris before heavy machinery arrived. They later formed a human chain with the police to clear the road for earthmovers. 

At Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus Metro station, around 400 metres from the collapse site, Saavy, DU president of the All India Students’ Association, scrolled through WhatsApp messages about missing students. 

‘Sharing names, photos’

“We have already received eight such requests. People are calling and sending photographs and names of people who are missing. We have been receiving these messages on our helpline numbers,” she said. 

One message read, “He is my friend who lives in the PG that collapsed. His phone is switched off, and I have no information about him… please, if anyone gets any information about him, kindly message me.” 

Students video-called friends, asking them to search the rubble and surrounding areas and sharing photographs to help trace those missing. Requests came from families unable to contact loved ones. 

Conflicting information was circulating about Yuvraj, with college authorities saying he was safe with his family in Madhya Pradesh, while others claimed he had died. 

“We are trying to contact Yuvraj,” said Unnayan, another student involved in the efforts. 

Aditya and Pawan Kumar were among the other names being circulated. 

Those seeking information were asked to contact Nirali at 9974945558, Saavy at 9871751355 or Arpit at 8887731669.