Delhi High Court Criticizes Authorities Over Aspirant Deaths Amid 'Freebies Culture'

The Delhi High Court criticized authorities for the deaths of three UPSC aspirants who drowned in a coaching center's basement, blaming a 'freebies culture' for inadequate infrastructure. The court also called out the strange police probe, targeting bystanders instead of officials, and highlighted financial mismanagement.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday strongly criticized authorities over the recent deaths of three UPSC aspirants who tragically drowned in the basement of a coaching center. The court attributed the incident to a prevailing 'freebies culture' that has led to inadequate infrastructure due to the lack of tax collection.

A bench chaired by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan expressed frustration over what it termed a 'strange probe,' which focused on prosecuting a passerby who drove a car but took no action against the municipal corporation officials. It highlighted the issue of multi-storey buildings operating without proper drainage systems.

'You want to have a freebies culture and don't want to collect taxes... this is bound to happen,' said the bench, including Justice Tushar Rao Gedela. The court lamented the authorities' financial mismanagement, noting their inability to build necessary infrastructure or even to pay salaries. The court was hearing a plea for a high-level committee to investigate the deaths of Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Delvin in Old Rajinder Nagar on July 27.