New Delhi
oi-Swastika Sruti
One of the managers of the Satya Niketan PG accommodation facility, wherein a building collapse resulted in deaths of seven people, was denied anticipatory bail by a court in Delhi on Thursday.
A Delhi court denied anticipatory bail to Shubham Tyagi, manager of the Satya Niketan PG near DU South Campus where a September 6 collapse killed seven; his partner Sudhanshu and contractor Manoj were arrested as basement repair work is investigated.
This came barely days after the fatal September 6 tragedy that occurred in the students’ zone of South Campus, wherein a multi-storey building, being used as a boys’ hostel, came crashing down.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler of the Patiala House Court refused the bail request of Shubham Tyagi, who runs the facility along with his business partner Sudhanshu.
Seven People Died in the September 6 Collapse
The building fell on September 6 in Satya Niketan, which is close to South Campus of Delhi University. The collapse of the building resulted in the death of seven individuals, out of whom five were students and two were laborers.
The building was being used as a boys’ PG for private purposes. The case once again brought into focus the safety of the buildings being used for housing students and paying guests in congested areas of Delhi.
Teams carrying out rescue operations continued their efforts for hours after the fall of the building.
Two Operators Had Taken the Property on Lease
It is evident from the description of the case that the PG was run by two businessmen who leased the property in August 2025. Sudhanshu was arrested by police on Wednesday morning. Tyagi was not arrested at the time of rejecting his anticipatory bail application. Rejection of anticipatory bail implies that Tyagi did not get protection from arrest which he wanted from the court.
The probe is still underway to establish the reason for the collapse of the building and the role played by the people associated with the running and repairing of the building.
Labour Contractor Also Arrested
Police have also apprehended labour contractor Sanoj, who was allegedly supervising repair work in the basement of the building. Investigators are examining whether the work being carried out in the basement contributed to the structural failure.
The exact cause of the collapse will ultimately depend on the findings of the investigation and any structural assessment carried out by the authorities.
Why Basement Repair Work Is Under Investigation
The reported repair work has become a key part of the investigation.
Officials are examining whether changes made to the basement affected the building’s structural stability. Questions are also likely to be raised over whether the required permissions and safety precautions were followed before the work began.
At this stage, allegations against the operators and others involved remain subject to investigation. The court’s rejection of anticipatory bail does not by itself establish their guilt.
Satya Niketan Collapse Raises Bigger Questions for Delhi
The tragedy has also brought renewed attention to Delhi’s wider building-safety problem.
According to figures cited in reports, the Satya Niketan collapse was the fifth building-collapse incident in Delhi this year, with 16 deaths recorded across three major incidents.
The reported fatalities include:
- Six people killed in a building collapse in Saket in May
- Three people killed in a collapse in Rohini in July
- Seven people killed in the Satya Niketan collapse on September 6
The numbers point to a problem that goes beyond one building or one neighbourhood.
Unauthorised Construction and Ageing Buildings Under Scanner
Officials have pointed to several recurring factors behind building failures in the capital.
These include unauthorised or unregulated construction, additional floors, ageing structures and the absence of proper structural assessments.
Repair and renovation work can add another risk if it is carried out without checking how changes will affect the building’s load-bearing structure. Monsoon conditions can further weaken already vulnerable structures through water seepage and damage to foundations, walls and basements.
