The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 8 filed a supplementary final report before a Delhi court concluding that there was no evidence to prosecute two senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials for criminal negligence in connection with the deaths of three civil services aspirants in July 2024 at Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar.
The report was submitted pursuant to the court’s direction to examine whether senior civic officials bore responsibility for administrative lapses that led to the tragedy.
Shreya Yadav (22), Tanya Soni (21) and Nevin Dalvin (29) died on July 27, 2024, after the basement of the coaching institute, which was being used as a library and examination hall, was inundated during heavy rainfall. The Delhi High Court transferred the investigation to the CBI.
In its report, the agency exonerated the then Deputy Commissioner of the MCD’s Karol Bagh Zone, Kumar Abhishek, and the then Superintending Engineer, Ajay Kumar Nagpal. It stated that the records did not indicate that either officer had prior knowledge of the basement’s unauthorised commercial use or had suppressed any information. The agency, however, held that serious lapses had occurred at the operational level.
It said Junior Engineer Arnav Kumar Dutta, who has already been chargesheeted, allegedly failed to report the unauthorised commercial use of the basement despite multiple inspections. The investigation found that photographs taken during an inspection in 2023 were accompanied by a report describing the basement as a furniture storage area, despite its actual use for coaching activities. The CBI also alleged that references to the “Exam Hall” on the institute’s signboard were concealed in official records.
The report also identified lapses by Assistant Engineer Rajeev Kumar Jain and Executive Engineer Kumar Mahendra, stating that they failed to adequately verify the unauthorised use of the premises. According to the CBI, the MCD has initiated departmental disciplinary proceedings against the two officials based on its recommendations but they couldnt be chargesheeted due to unavailability of proper sanctions.
The investigation found that the basement was being used in violation of the Master Plan for Delhi, which permits such use only after obtaining prescribed clearances, including fire safety approvals and payment of land-use conversion charges. While conversion charges had been paid for the upper floors of the building, no such charges had been deposited for the basement, whose occupancy certificate permitted its use only for parking and storage.
The CBI has already filed a chargesheet in the matter against Rau’s IAS Study Circle partner Abhishek Gupta, consultant Ashok Narang, Junior Engineer Arnav Kumar Dutta and certain Delhi Fire Services officials.
The court is scheduled to consider the supplementary closure report on July 28, when it will decide whether to accept the findings or direct further proceedings.
Published - July 14, 2026 12:41 am IST