"Being Treated Like Criminals..." Students Protest Delhi Basement Deaths

Over 400 Delhi students holding a protest and indefinite hunger strike - to demand action after three UPSC aspirants drowned Saturday, when the basement of a coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar was waterlogged after heavy rain - have been "forcefully evicted" by the police.

This is the fourth day of protests. The students have formed a 15-member coordination committee to steer the agitation, which has demanded stricter control over the hundreds of 'coaching centres' profiting off the demand for UPSC training. The students also want authorities to ensure such 'coaching centres' do not use basements for libraries or classes.

Visuals from the site - a main road blocked by students carrying posters and placards and surrounded by police barricades - showed some arguing with cops trying to get them to move.

One student told NDTV the protesters would move immediately after assurances their demands - accountability and Rs 5 crore compensation for the dead students' families - will be met.

On Monday Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said each family will get Rs 10 lakh.

But the police refused to listen, the student said, and began "forcefully" dispersing the protesters. She also accused the cops of "lying" to the students to get them to move.

"Why are we being treated like criminals?" the students asked the cops.

Earlier two busloads of students had been taken by the police to meet the Municipal Commissioner of Delhi. A third then appeared to clear away the remaining students.

This led to the confrontation between the protesters and the cops.

Angry students have demanded written guarantees from the officials that their concerns will be addressed and have said they are "sick and tired" of political blame-games that erupt after every tragedy, in which the ruling party (the AAP) and the opposition (the BJP) are quick to blame each other but do not solve problems, which in this case are clogged stormwater drains in parts of the city that lead to roads flooded with water, and sewage, during even moderate rainfall.

"Just because we are aspirants, they think we will break and after some days we will go back to our studies. So here we are to make sure this incident does not disappear till justice is served."

"Somewhere we hoped the administration will listen... (that) we will be heard by the UPSC coaching lobby, by the authorities... but after four days we realise this is going nowhere..."

Last evening Delhi Police spoke to protesting students, saying a case had been registered and arrests made. The cops asked the students for patience while they complete investigations.

"A case has been registered. Seven people have been arrested, including the coaching centre owner and coordinator, and the building owner. We are not leaving any stone unturned... our investigation is not complete," Deputy Commissioner of Police M Harshvardhan said.

The driver of an SUV that drove through the flooded street at speed, causing the water to swell and pour into the basement, was among those arrested. The vehicle was seized.