A Delhi Police investigation has concluded that the tragic collapse of a five-storey paying guest accommodation in the Satya Niketan area was directly linked to poorly executed renovation work that severely weakened the building's structural framework.
The building, which was housing students and working professionals, crumbled on September 6, burying occupants beneath tonnes of concrete and debris. Seven people lost their lives in the disaster, while several others were rescued with serious injuries.
According to investigation details, the renovation work involved two critical structural alterations: the entire basement was leveled, and a ground-floor wall was dismantled to convert the space into a commercial shop. Both actions compromised load-bearing elements of the structure without any engineering assessment or permission from relevant authorities.
During questioning, an arrested labour contractor revealed that he was engaged for the work on a daily wage basis. He named Mahesh Gupta as the person who hired and paid him directly for carrying out the demolition and leveling tasks.
The Delhi Police also arrested the operator of the paying guest establishment, charging him with criminal negligence for allowing such extensive structural modifications on a building not designed to bear the altered stress patterns. Authorities are now tracing whether the owner of the property or any licensed architect or engineer was complicit in approving or ignoring the unsafe alterations.
Building officials in Delhi have expressed alarm at how common such unauthorized renovations are across the national capital. Many older structures are frequently modified for commercial purposes without structural engineers' clearance, posing severe risks in a city where building codes are routinely flouted.
The incident has reignited demands for stricter enforcement of building regulations and regular structural safety audits of older multi-storey buildings across Delhi.
