The Central government has formally opposed a request by Kiran Bedi, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and ex-Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, to participate in a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the Satya Niketan building collapse. This development unfolded on Thursday during proceedings at the Delhi High Court.
The case is being heard by a Division Bench composed of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. The Bench noted that Bedi’s administrative experience could be beneficial in addressing the complex issues stemming from the building’s collapse. Chief Justice Upadhyaya remarked, “She is a conscientious citizen of the country with ample experience. It is a matter of larger public interest… We can always utilise her long experience… Don’t take the matter adversarially.”
Despite the court’s observations, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, who represents the Central government, argued against Bedi’s inclusion in the case. Sharma stated that he had been instructed to oppose her impleadment, noting that Bedi appeared to have already formed opinions on the issues at hand. He confirmed that a formal reply would be filed to contest her application.
The court has allowed the government a three-day timeframe to submit its response to Bedi’s application. The PIL under consideration was filed by Aniket Kumar Gupta, following the tragic collapse of a paying guest (PG) accommodation in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area, which resulted in the loss of seven lives. Gupta’s petition seeks ₹1 crore in compensation for the families of the victims and calls for a structural audit of all PG accommodations and hostels in the region.
In a prior hearing on September 7, the court had directed the authorities to respond and instructed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to conduct an in-depth inquiry to determine if the collapsed structure had the necessary construction permissions. Additionally, the court requested data on the number of students residing in PGs and sought clarity on whether there are any statutory or executive regulations governing such accommodations in Delhi.
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The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for September 25. Developments in this case continue to draw significant public and media attention.
