 "Coaching centre death: Why is the SUV driver blamed for MCD's inefficiency?")
What does it cost to prevent your car from stalling on a waterlogged road? For 50-year-old Manoj Kathuria, it meant facing a non-bailable offence. In the chaos of Delhi authorities shifting blame for the tragic deaths at Rau’s coaching centre, the Delhi Police apparently found an unsuspecting driver navigating the flooded lanes of Old Rajinder Nagar as a convenient scapegoat.
The Indian Express reported Kathuria was only 700 metres from home, passing by the coaching centre, when the incident occurred. A day later, he faced the repercussions of that short drive.
On Sunday evening, police detained the businessman, accusing him of ‘creating waves’ that breached the coaching centre’s entrance, causing basement flooding that led to the deaths of three students.
Police indicated that Kathuria is charged under Sections listed in the initial FIR — Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), among others. They stated his vehicle contributed to the basement flooding.
Allegations of ‘mastikhor’ SUV driver
On Tuesday, Delhi Police opposed the bail plea of the SUV driver linked to the flooding of a coaching centre’s basement in Old Rajinder Nagar, resulting in the deaths of three civil services aspirants last week.
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Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava, representing Delhi Police, opposed the bail, labelling the SUV driver, Manoj Kathuria, as ‘mischievous’.
During the court hearing, the driver’s advocate argued that Kathuria should not be held responsible, claiming the police were arresting those not directly involved. However, DCP (Central) M Harshvardhan cited evidence from CCTV footage identifying the driver and vehicle involved.
“Negligence has been established on the part of the arrested driver. He drove the vehicle at high speed, causing the gate of the coaching centre to break. A street vendor even tried to stop him before he hit the building gate,” DCP Harshvardhan explained. Kathuria faces charges under BNS Section 105 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
How fast was the driver going?
Media reports indicate that Kathuria wouldn’t have been driving at more than 15 kmph when he crossed the flooded Bada Bazar Road in Rajinder Nagar, passing Rau’s IAS Study Circle before heading home near Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Unaware of the impending disaster, Kathuria allegedly broke the gate of Rau’s IAS Study Circle while navigating the flooded road. “While passing a road, nobody can anticipate what is happening inside a building. The wave affected all surrounding buildings. The building owner is misusing his premises, and civic authorities are not taking action. There were no traffic or local police officers managing the vehicular movement. How is it his fault?” his lawyer told reporters.
Kathuria was driving his 2021 model Force Gurkha – 4×4, a Bharat Stage VI diesel vehicle registered in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, in November 2021. He also runs a YouTube channel ‘Indian Overlander’, showcasing his car.
“This channel will be about my offroad drives, Overland Travel and Exploration with my 2021 model Force Gurkha named Asterix,” reads the channel description, which has 8.21 thousand subscribers and 49 videos.
Inquiry exposed lapses at Rau’s
Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar submitted an inquiry report to city minister Atishi regarding the deaths of three civil services aspirants at Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar on Tuesday.
The report highlighted several lapses by the coaching institute, including blocking the drainage system and inadequate security staff vigilance.
Rau’s IAS Study Circle had completely blocked the drainage system and failed to implement safeguards against such incidents. “The parking access to the institute is directly exposed to the road. In case of heavy rain, water enters the parking area instead of the stormwater drain,” Hindustan Times reported.
“There was no vigilance by security staff, allowing water to enter the basement, resulting in the loss of three young lives,” the report added. It also noted that property owners had covered the drainage system with finishing materials, preventing proper maintenance.
Delhi Chief Secretary’s report omits MCD’s role
However, the report remained mysteriously silent on the inefficiency of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on how and why the violations were allowed to happen by the MCD and why actions were not taken earlier.
Meanwhile, during a press conference on Wednesday (July 31), AAP Minister Atishi announced the suspension of two Delhi Jal Board officials. A junior engineer responsible for drain maintenance was dismissed from the MCD, and an assistant engineer ensuring proper drainage and adherence to building regulations was suspended.
The ‘dramatic arrest’ of Kathuria
Recalling her husband’s arrest, wife of Manoj Kathuria, Shima said Delhi Police arrived at their home to question Manoj, as reported by India Today.
Shima narrates that the police had claimed there was no criminal liability and they were merely taking her husband for questioning since his vehicle appeared in a viral video from that time. She mentioned that thirty minutes later, her father-in-law received a call informing of his arrest, which caused panic in the family.
She further explained that the car would have stalled if he had stopped, and he was unaware of the buildings he crossed. He was focused on driving straight without hitting anyone. Shima noted that they had never been to those institutes and were unfamiliar with their operations.