- The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to take up for urgent hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking hostel facilities for students in all Delhi University colleges, observing that such a direction could not be issued at the interim stage.
- A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia questioned the need for urgent listing and asked the lawyer to file the plea for auto-listing on Wednesday.
- The plea was mentioned for urgent listing following the building collapse at Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus, which claimed seven lives.
- The plea sought a direction to every Delhi University college to provide hostel facilities to students.
- The lawyer told the court that the PIL was distinct from another petition heard on Monday, which sought, among other reliefs, compensation for the families of those killed and injured in the collapse.
- The Bench said it could not issue such a direction at the interim stage, stating: “Can we issue such a direction in the interim? File it. It will be taken up tomorrow.”
- The court had on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) into the building collapse and made it clear that the government could not evade responsibility for the tragedy.
- Calling the incident “most unfortunate”, the High Court said such tragedies reflected inadequate measures by the MCD and other authorities and directed them to intensify rescue efforts to save lives.
The Delhi High Court has refused to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) urgently, which sought hostel facilities for students across all Delhi University colleges. The court emphasized that it could not issue such directions at the interim stage.14
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia questioned the necessity for urgent listing, advising the lawyer to file for auto-listing instead. The plea was prompted by a tragic building collapse at Satya Niketan near the university's South Campus, which resulted in seven fatalities.23
The lawyer clarified that this PIL was separate from another petition discussed on Monday, which sought compensation for the victims' families. The court had previously ordered a high-level inquiry by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) into the collapse, stressing that the government must not evade responsibility for the incident. The court described the tragedy as “most unfortunate” and highlighted the need for improved safety measures by the MCD and other authorities, urging them to enhance rescue efforts to save lives.589
The court's decision reflects ongoing concerns regarding student safety and infrastructure adequacy in the wake of such incidents, raising questions about the responsibilities of educational institutions in providing necessary facilities.
“The plea follows the Satya Niketan collapse that killed seven, prompting the court to order an MCD inquiry and warn the government against evading responsibility. The bench, led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, asked the lawyer to file for auto-listing on Wednesday.”
