Delhi High Court refuses urgent hearing on petition over demolition after Satya Niketan collapse

On Monday, a panel led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia refused to list an urgent petition contesting the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s decision to demolish the building next to the Satya Niketan structure that collapsed last week. The petitioner claimed the demolition proceeded before all debris was cleared, potentially endangering students still buried in the rubble. The judges questioned the basis of these allegations, noting that the MCD must have conducted a technical assessment prior to demolition and asked the lawyer to submit documented proof.

They dismissed the request as speculative and said the petition would be auto-listed the next day. The collapse, which killed at least seven people and injured five, involved a 40-50-year-old hostel owned by 81-year-old Hariram Gupta, who has been arrested along with unidentified accomplices. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ordered a magisterial inquiry, and police filed an FIR under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.