On Monday, a Delhi court granted interim bail to Abhishek Gupta, CEO of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, and Deshpal Singh, the coaching coordinator, until December 7. They were arrested in connection with the deaths of three civil service aspirants who drowned in the basement of the coaching center in Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, on July 27.
The victims were identified as Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana, and Nevin Dalvin (24) from Kerala. As part of the bail conditions, Gupta was ordered to deposit Rs 2.5 crore with the Red Cross Society by the end of November.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna of Rouse Avenue Court acknowledged that the basement was being used unlawfully, but also noted the failure of civic authorities. The court emphasized that the accused had already been in custody for 54 days, and there was no further reason to extend their detention.
The defense team included senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and Rebecca John, along with advocates Mohit Saraf and Sanjeev Sharma. Of the seven individuals arrested in connection with the case, all are currently out on bail. One individual received regular bail, while the other six were granted interim bail. The four co-owners of the basement – Parvinder Singh, Tajinder Singh, Sarbjit Singh, and Harvinder Singh – were granted interim bail by the Delhi High Court until January 30, with a condition to pay Rs 5 crore to the Red Cross Society.
The high court condemned the co-owners’ actions as an “act of greed” and recommended that the Lieutenant Governor form a committee, led by a former judge, to ensure that coaching centers comply with regulations. The court also suggested that the government designate specific areas for coaching centers.
In a related development, Manuj Kathuria, who drove his SUV through a waterlogged lane near the center, allegedly causing the basement gates to break open due to the waves generated by his vehicle, was granted regular bail on August 1. The court criticized the Delhi Police for implicating him “over-enthusiastically.”
On August 2, the Delhi High Court transferred the case investigation from the Delhi Police to the CBI, citing concerns about potential corruption involving public officials. Advocate Abhijeet Anand, representing Nevin Dalvin’s father, had previously raised concerns in court about the slow progress of the investigation, suggesting the involvement of town planners and possibly Delhi’s chief secretary in the approval process for the building.