Satya Niketan PG operator was warned of a wall collapse hours before tragedy: Report

Just hours before the boys’ PG collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, killing seven people, the PG operator was allegedly warned that ongoing construction could bring down a wall.

According to an Indian Express report, the labourer who issued the warning had called PG operator Sudhanshu, 31, to caution him that the building may not be able to bear the additional load from construction work in the basement.

PG operator warned son against renovation

Sudhanshu, who ran the ‘Hostel Daze’ PG chain in the area, allegedly told police during questioning that he had also warned the son of the property's owner against proceeding with the renovation.

He claimed he had specifically cautioned that the building’s base could not support the weight of additional floors, the report added.

Also Read: Post Satya Niketan tragedy, experts point to blind spots before construction even starts

“We are also trying to get details of the timeline of the construction work, and ask neighbours how the building came up and whether it was inspected during the construction,” a police officer said as quoted by the report.

Delhi Police on Friday took the three accused arrested in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse case for a medical examination before producing them before Patiala House Court later in the day, PTI reported.

Cops raised concerns 3 months before collapse

Police flagged safety concerns, mainly fire risks, about buildings in Satya Niketan around three months before a multi-storey hostel collapsed in the South Delhi locality last Sunday, killing seven people, mostly students, HT reported earlier.

On June 17, two weeks after the Hauz Rani fire, the South Campus station house officer sent a letter to the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Mehrauli, flagging “public safety” concerns and advising “any and early action” in the Satya Niketan locality. The area, close to 13 colleges, was a hub for students seeking alternative accommodation in the city given the chronic shortage of on-campus hostel rooms in Delhi University.

Court denies bail to PG operator

Meanwhile, the Patiala House Court on Thursday denied anticipatory bail to advocate Shubham Tyagi, another PG operator linked to the collapsed building. The court said the rent agreement had been suppressed in his bail application and that the investigation was still at an early stage, news agency PTI reported.

Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler said further investigation was required into Tyagi’s knowledge of, consent to and financial and operational role in the PG business. Five accused have been arrested in the case so far.

The prosecution told the court that Tyagi was not merely an investor but a co-lessee and business partner of Sudhanshu. The two allegedly ran PG accommodations under the name “Hotel/Hostel Daze”.

According to the prosecution, the building was rented for ₹1.05 lakh a month, with separate agreements executed on September 6, 2025, for different floors. The prosecution alleged that Tyagi had attached only Sudhanshu’s rent agreement to his bail plea while withholding his own.

The prosecution further alleged that Tyagi continued operating the commercial PG in the residential/old building without the required permissions even as construction and alterations were underway in the basement and on the ground floor.