Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested Sudhanshu, one of the two operators of a five-storey boys’ paying guest (PG) accommodation in Delhi’s Satya Niketan that collapsed on September 6, killing seven people, including five students and two labourers.
Sudhanshu and his business partner Shubham Tyagi had leased the property in August 2025 and were operating it under the name Hostel Daze. His arrest comes after police arrested the building’s owners 81-year-old Hariram Gupta, his 75-year-old wife Urmila Gupta and their 52-year-old son Mahesh Gupta and labour contractor Sanoj, who was allegedly supervising repair work at the site.
Police are investigating whether ongoing basement and ground-floor work, unauthorised construction and the building’s structural condition contributed to the collapse. Five MCD officials have also been suspended, while authorities have announced wider safety checks of PG accommodations.
Seven Lives Lost In Seconds
The building near Delhi University’s South Campus collapsed at around 1.30 pm on Sunday, trapping residents and workers beneath the debris. Rescue teams worked for around 27 hours and pulled 12 people from the rubble, but seven people died. Five of them were students Abhishek Kumar, 20, Yuvraj Soni, 20, Pawan Kumar, 17, Arpit Jahaj, 19, and Akshat Singh Yadav, 18 along with two labourers. Five others were injured.
The tragedy has particularly shaken families whose children had moved to Delhi to pursue their education and careers. Several of the students were reportedly preparing for competitive examinations or professional courses, turning what should have been a place of accommodation into the site of a devastating loss.
Videos of the collapse and rescue efforts have also circulated widely online. However, one widely shared video claiming to show the actual collapse was later found to be AI-generated, highlighting the need for caution while sharing footage from such tragedies.
Police are now trying to establish how responsibility was divided between the property owners, PG operators, contractor and civic authorities. The latest arrest of Sudhanshu is significant because it brings one of the people directly responsible for running the accommodation into the investigation.
Repairs, Extra Floors Under Scanner
According to police, the basement had been undergoing repair work for around eight to 10 days before the collapse, reportedly to address waterlogging and seepage. The ground floor was also being worked on for an extension for commercial use. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Amit Goel said the basement had accumulated waste during the rainy season, while work was underway on the ground floor. The labour contractor allegedly supervising the work, Sanoj, was arrested in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh.
The FIR has also raised questions over the building’s construction history. Police allege that four additional floors had been constructed on the old structure to increase rental income, despite concerns over whether the foundation could bear the additional load.
The building reportedly stood on a roughly 55-square-yard plot and was originally intended as a much smaller residential structure. These allegations remain part of the investigation and have not been established by a court.
The distinction between ownership and operation has become particularly important. Police said the property was registered in Urmila Gupta’s name, while her husband Hariram and son Mahesh were involved in managing it. The property had subsequently been leased to Sudhanshu and Shubham Tyagi, who ran the PG. According to reports, Hostel Daze operates multiple PG facilities in the area, and investigators are examining the operators’ other properties as well.
Officials Face Accountability Questions
The arrests have been accompanied by action against civic officials. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi suspended five South Zone officials, including Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar, over the incident. The action has intensified questions over whether authorities adequately monitored construction violations and the safety of buildings being used as commercial accommodation.
The Delhi government has also moved towards stronger regulation of PGs following the tragedy. A proposed framework would require PGs to obtain licences, police clearance and structural and fire-safety certification, with registered accommodations listed on a public portal. The move comes amid wider concerns that private student housing often operates with limited oversight.
The collapse has also prompted calls for broader structural audits. The Supreme Court is examining concerns around the safety of PGs, hostels and student accommodation, while authorities in Delhi have discussed mandatory safety checks for buildings used by the public.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The Satya Niketan tragedy is a painful reminder that student accommodation cannot be treated merely as a commercial opportunity. Whether responsibility ultimately lies with the property owners, PG operators, contractors, officials or a combination of failures must be established through a fair and thorough investigation.
But accountability should go hand in hand with prevention. Students and their families should not have to choose between affordable accommodation and basic structural safety. The arrests and proposed regulatory measures will matter only if they lead to stronger inspections, transparent records and safer homes not just action after lives have been lost.
Also read: Satya Niketan Tragedy: MCD Demolishes ‘Unsafe’ PG as Delhi’s Building Safety Crisis Deepens
