Satya Niketan Collapse: PG Operator Shubham Tyagi Surrenders; Police Seek 2-Day Custody

PG operator Shubham Tyagi, who had been absconding since the Satya Niketan building collapse that killed seven people, including five students, surrendered before the Patiala House Court on Friday, police said. Police have sought his two-day custody for questioning and further investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse.

According to police, Tyagi was allegedly operating a paying guest accommodation in the five-storey building in south Delhi and had taken a floor of the property on lease from its owner, Hariram Gupta. He had been absconding since the incident, and police teams had been conducting searches at several places to trace him, PTI reported.

The surrender came a day after investigators said they were examining the mobile-phone records and online chat history of co-accused Sudhanshu Lovneesh, who is under arrest, to ascertain what transpired immediately after the building collapsed. Police said Lovneesh's phone has been sent for forensic examination.

The building in Satya Niketan near Delhi University's South Campus collapsed on Sunday while repair and extension work was underway. Seven people were killed in the incident, including five students.

Police arrested the building owner's son Mahesh, labour contractor Sanoj Kumar and the PG operator in connection with the case. Building owner Hariram Gupta, 81, and his wife Urmila, 75, are also in judicial custody, according to police.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi suspended South Zone Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar and four engineers pending disciplinary proceedings. According to PTI, police are probing whether structural alterations and ongoing repair work contributed to the collapse.