“Being Treated Like Criminals…” Students Protest Delhi Basement Deaths

Over 400 students holding a protest – and at least 10 are on an indefinite hunger strike – in Delhi’s Rajendra Nagar were evicted by police Wednesday morning, days after three UPSC aspirants drowned when the basement of a coaching centre was waterlogged after heavy rain.

Visuals from the site – a main road blocked by students penned in by yellow, metal Delhi Police barricades – showed them arguing with cops who are trying to get them to move on.

One student told NDTV the protesters would move immediately after assurances their demands – accountability and Rs 5 crore compensation for the dead students’ families – will be met.

Earlier, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said the families will be given Rs 10 lakh each.

But the police refused to listen, she said, and are “forcefully” dispersing the protesters.

She also accused the cops of “lying” to the students to get them to move.

“Why are we being treated like criminals?” the students have asked the cops.

Earlier two busloads of students had been taken by the police to meet the Municipal Commissioner of Delhi. A third then appeared to clear away the remaining students.

This led to the confrontation between the protesters and the cops.

Angry students have demanded written guarantees from the officials that their concerns will be addressed and have said they are “sick and tired” of political blame-games that erupt after every tragedy, in which the ruling party (the AAP) and the opposition (the BJP) are quick to blame each other but do not solve problems, which in this case are clogged stormwater drains in parts of the city that lead to roads flooded with water, and sewage, during even moderate rainfall.

“Just because we are aspirants, they think we will break and after some days we will go back to our studies. So here we are to make sure this incident does not disappear till justice is served.”

Last evening Delhi Police spoke to protesting students, saying a case had been registered and arrests made. The cops asked the students for patience while they complete investigations.

“A case has been registered. Seven people have been arrested, including the coaching centre owner and coordinator, and the building owner. We are not leaving any stone unturned… our investigation is not complete,” Deputy Commissioner of Police M Harshvardhan said.