The rescue and search operation has concluded while a small part of the debris is yet to be cleared.
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police Monday arrested Hariram Gupta (81), who was operating the five-storey PG accommodation that collapsed in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday, from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. Gupta’s wife Urmila (75) and their son Mahesh (52) have also been arrested. The deceased students have been identified as Arpit Jaj (19), Abhishek (20), Yuvraj Soni (20), Pawan (17) and Akshat Singh Yadav (18). Two labourers – Surinder Singh (56) and Param Lal Kori (30) – also died in the incident. “The building was around 40-50 years old and additional floors were added from time to time. Delhi Police, meanwhile, said Hariram was apprehended after raids by over 10 teams were launched to net him. They have been identified as Asgar Ali (30), Neeraj Bawa (19), Aditya Kumar (19), Nitish Chib (19) and Md Ayan (18).
They are undergoing treatment, with two of them reported to be in critical condition.
In a post on X, CM Rekha Gupta said: “The building owner has been arrested. The current PG had been operating there for around a year,” sources said. Police said five people are being treated for injuries.
He is a retired IAF sergeant. The toll in Sunday’s incident rose to seven after two more bodies were extricated from the rubble early Monday. The rescue and search operation has concluded while a small part of the debris is yet to be cleared. There was also commercial space on the premises. Searches are being conducted to trace the PG warden/manager and the labour contractor associated with the building. Their roles in the incident are also being examined. After he was found missing from his Gurgaon home, police used technical surveillance to trace his movements and opened a look-out circular against him to prevent him from leaving the country.
“Finding himself cornered, Hariram sent some messages seeking help, which alerted us to his location,” said a senior cop. A watch was also kept on the premises, including shops, owned by him and his family. The operation was monitored by joint commissioner Nupur Prasad.