KUTUMB Vs. STATE OF NCT OF DELHI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Present public interest petition being W.P.(C) 10550/2024 has been filed seeking directions to the Respondents to constitute a high-level committee to probe the recent incident of flooding in the basement of a coaching centre in Old Rajendra Nagar, Delhi wherein three students lost their lives. The Petitioner further prays for institution of a probe against the officials of MCD who failed to act on the complaint dtd. 26/6/2024 addressed by one Mr. Kishor Singh Kushwaha.

(2.) Another petitioner has filed an application being CM Appl.43292/2024 in W.P. (C) 13308/2023, seeking a direction to the respondent to stop the libraries from operating in basements in Rajinder Nagar, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar and Ranjit Nagar. SUBMISSIONS OF THE PETITIONER AND APPLICANT

(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioner and applicant have brought to the attention of this Court various unfortunate incidents of fire in the city including the massive fire at Hotel Arpit Palace, Karol Bagh in 2019, fire at PG facility in Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi in September, 2023 and fire tragedy at neo-natal hospital in Vivek Vihar, Delhi in May 2024, which claimed several lives. They state that such incidents, including the recent flooding at the coaching centre, took place on account of indifferent conduct of the officials of the respondents coupled with non-compliance of orders issued by this Court. They rely upon one such order dtd. 25/7/2023 in Sanjay Singhal vs. State Govt of NCT of Delhi and Ors. W.P.(C) 12182/2016 and other connected matters, wherein a Division Bench of this Court had passed the following directions: