Delhi PG Building Collapse: 5 Officials Suspended, Court Orders High-Level Inquiry

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended five officials from its South Zone following the Satya Niketan building collapse, acting on the directions of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

Those suspended are Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar, Superintending Engineer Ranveer Singh, Executive Engineer (Building) Lalit Kumar Goyal, Assistant Engineer (Building) Sunil Chauhan and Junior Engineer (Building) Ashish Kumar.

Three of them, Rakesh Kumar, Ranveer Singh and Ashish Kumar, were also posted in the South Zone when the Malviya Nagar fire took place. No action was taken against them after that incident.

They have now been suspended following the Satya Niketan collapse.

Five Officials Suspended After Collapse

The building, which housed a boys' PG near Delhi University's South Campus, collapsed while repair work was underway. Seven people were killed in the incident.

The MCD's building department has come under scrutiny over the property and the work being carried out there. Police are examining the repair work in the basement and possible water accumulation as part of the investigation.

The Delhi High Court has ordered a high-level inquiry into the collapse and asked the MCD to examine whether the building had the required permissions and whether there were lapses by civic officials. It also sought details of action against officials found responsible.

Three Were Posted During Malviya Nagar Fire

Rakesh Kumar, Ranveer Singh and Ashish Kumar were posted in the MCD's South Zone when the Malviya Nagar fire took place.

No action was taken against them after that incident. They are now among the five officials suspended following the Satya Niketan collapse.

Their posting during the Malviya Nagar fire does not by itself establish responsibility for that incident. However, the action taken after the two incidents is now part of the scrutiny over how responsibility was fixed.

HC Questions MCD, Orders PG Checks

The Delhi High Court called the Satya Niketan collapse "most unfortunate" and said responsibility could not be confined to the building owners. It also pointed to the role of the MCD and Delhi University.

The court expressed concern over the condition of accommodation available to students coming to Delhi from outside the city and directed the authorities to look at the larger issue of student housing.

The MCD has also been directed to inspect PG accommodations and hostels under its jurisdiction and check whether they have the required permissions and comply with building bye-laws.

Following the court's directions, MCD Executive Engineers (Building) have been asked to inspect buildings in their respective zones and submit comprehensive reports, under their signatures, to Building Headquarters by September 10, 2026.

The MCD has said the inspection data will be incorporated into an affidavit to be filed before the Delhi High Court within 10 days. The exercise will be personally monitored and supervised by the concerned Zonal Additional Commissioner.