Hariram Bansal, the owner of the five-storey paying guest accommodation in Delhi's Satya Niketan that collapsed and killed seven people, has been arrested
from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, near the Haryana border, officials said on Monday. Live updates here. Also Read: What Satya Niketan PG Rent Agreement Said Bansal had been named as an accused in the case after the building, which housed students near Delhi University's South Campus, collapsed on Sunday afternoon. Police had registered an FIR against him and others at the South Campus police station and formed multiple teams to trace him. The FIR was registered under Sections 105, 290 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligent conduct in connection with construction or repair of buildings, and acts endangering life or personal safety. Police had also issued a lookout notice for Bansal as investigators searched for him following the collapse. The building owner was reported to be a resident of Gurugram. The building, known as Hostel Daze, was being used as a boys' PG and had several Delhi University students staying there. Police said repair and renovation work was underway on the ground floor when the structure came down around 1.30 pm on Sunday. Preliminary investigations have focused on the renovation work and the condition of the structure. Reports said work was also underway in the basement, with officials examining whether excavation and water accumulation may have affected the building's structural stability. The building was reportedly several decades old. The collapse triggered a major rescue operation involving the Delhi Fire Service, NDRF, Delhi Police and other agencies. Seven people have died in the incident, while five others were rescued and taken to hospitals for treatment. Three of them are said to be critical, one stable and one has been discharged. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collapse and promised strict action against those found responsible. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has also suspended five South Zone officials amid scrutiny over building safety enforcement. The civic body has separately begun action against other potentially dangerous and unauthorised structures in the area, while authorities investigate how the building was allowed to operate as a student PG despite alleged construction and safety violations.
