Delhi Police have arrested a labour contractor who was overseeing repair work at the basement of the ill-fated Satya Niketan paying guest (PG) building, while the elderly couple who owned the property have been sent to 14 days of judicial custody.
The labour contractor, identified as Sanoj, was arrested from Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh and is being brought to Delhi for further examination, a police official said on Tuesday.
Waste had reportedly been accumulating there during the rainy season for the past eight to 10 days. Meanwhile, building owner Urmila, 75, and her retired husband Hariram, 81, were produced before a court, which sent them to 14 days of judicial custody. The family had leased the property to the PG operators, ‘Hostel Daze’, in August 2025. Several students were staying there when the structure collapsed at around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, killing seven people, police said.
Initial questioning of Sanoj revealed that repair work was being carried out in the basement on the day the building collapsed, according to the police.
Police also said that repair work was underway on the ground floor for an extension aimed at commercial use. Their son Mahesh was sent to police custody for two days, an official said. During questioning, Mahesh reportedly told investigators that he handled the maintenance of the building on behalf of his parents. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), in a post on social media platform X, said the MCD had been directed to demolish the adjoining unsafe structure “in the interest of public safety”. The CMO also said that belongings of students inside the building were being removed safely and systematically by Delhi Fire Service personnel.
The latest arrests and custody orders come as authorities continue to act against unsafe structures and alleged lapses in the area following the collapse. Students and local residents were urged to cooperate with the authorities during the process. The demolition order comes after the suspension of five civic officials responsible for checking illegal construction in the colony, which is located near Delhi University’s South Campus near Dhaula Kuan. The five-storey building, known as ‘Hostel Daze’, was being operated as a boys’ PG. The incident has since triggered a wider scrutiny of repair and construction activity in the area, with authorities now focusing on accountability as well as the safety of neighbouring structures. (with IANS inputs)
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) would demolish a dilapidated building located next to the collapsed PG building in Satya Niketan.
