‘Structural Work Done Without Expert Advice’: Delhi Police Tells HC On Satya Niketan Building Collapse

News india ‘Structural Work Done Without Expert Advice’: Delhi Police Tells HC On Satya Niketan Building Collapse

Last Updated:September 25, 2026, 13:34 IST

The five-storey building, which housed a paying guest (PG) accommodation operated under the name “Hostel Daze”, collapsed on September 6.

The Delhi Police has told the Delhi High Court that the owners of the building in South Delhi’s Satya Niketan that collapsed earlier this month had carried out structural modifications without engaging a qualified structural engineer or architect, while the premises were also being commercially rented out without the required permissions.

In its status report filed before the High Court, the police said the accused had failed to take adequate safety precautions during construction, repair and structural alteration work, creating a situation that endangered lives and ultimately resulted in the deaths and serious injuries.

The five-storey building, which housed a paying guest (PG) accommodation operated under the name “Hostel Daze", collapsed on September 6. Seven people, including five students and two labourers, were killed, while five others were injured.

No Land-Use Conversion, Structural Expert Hired

According to the police report, no land-use conversion permission had been obtained for the premises, which were being commercially let out without the requisite permissions from the competent authorities.

Investigators also found that the owners had neither hired nor sought advice from a qualified structural engineer or architect for repairs to the basement or structural modifications carried out at the ground-floor shops and other portions of the building.

The police further said that the contractor engaged for the work had hired two unqualified labourers for carrying out repairs and structural modifications.

According to the status report, the contractor was an “unprofessional and unqualified rajmistri" who failed to take adequate safety precautions while carrying out work on the old building.

PG Operators Failed To Verify Structural Safety

The police also placed responsibility on the operators of Hostel Daze, alleging that they took the premises on rent without properly verifying the structural safety or design of the building.

The operators allegedly failed to take appropriate precautions despite construction and structural alteration work being carried out at the premises. The police said they also failed to take adequate safety measures for PG residents or warn them about potential dangers arising from the ongoing work.

The PG was operated by Shubham Tyagi and Sudhanshu Lovenish Kumar. Police had earlier said the two had leased four floors of the building in August 2025 and were running the premises as a student accommodation under the Hostel Daze name. Sudhanshu was arrested on September 9, while Tyagi, who had been absconding, later surrendered and was arrested on September 11.

The status report also alleged that the accused left the site after the building collapsed instead of taking responsibility or helping in the immediate aftermath.

“The accused persons left the spot instead of taking responsibility and assisting in the immediate aftermath of the incident," the police said in the report.

The six accused named in the September 21 status report were building owner Urmila Gupta, her husband Hari Ram Gupta, their son Mahesh Gupta, PG operators Shubham Tyagi and Sudhanshu Lovenish Kumar, and contractor Sanoj.

Seven Killed In September 6 Collapse

The building collapsed at around 1:30 pm on September 6, killing seven people. Five of the victims were students, while two were labourers. The deceased students were from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The collapse involved a five-storey structure estimated to be around 40 to 50 years old. Police had earlier registered a case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligent conduct in the construction or repair of buildings, and acts endangering life or personal safety.

The Delhi Police has told the High Court that its investigation is continuing and that further findings are awaited.

The status report was filed in response to a petition seeking a fair and comprehensive investigation into the collapse, including examination of the roles of the property owner, contractor, builder, architect, structural engineer and workers.

The High Court had earlier asked the Delhi Police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi University to respond to the petition. It also asked the MCD to conduct an inquiry at the highest executive level into the collapse.

The police said the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse remains underway, including examination of the structural work carried out at the premises and the role of those involved.

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Aanchal SinhaSub Editor

Aanchal is the Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than four years of experience in national and international news. My work involves covering breaking news, politics, current affairs and developments...Read More

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