Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapse: PG operator, labour contractor held as probe widens into repair work

New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested a paying guest operator and a labour contractor in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse that killed seven people, widening the investigation into how the property was maintained and operated before it came down. Police are examining the roles of the building owning family, PG management and those supervising repair and construction work, while the structural cause of the collapse has not yet been finally established.

The arrested PG operator, identified as Sudhanshu, was associated with the Hostel Daze chain and had been managing the property since August 2025, police told  Indian Express. Investigators said he handled maintenance and oversaw repair and construction requirements at the building.

Police arrested labour contractor Sanoj from Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. PTI reported that he was supervising construction and repair work at the building and was brought to Delhi for questioning.

According to police, repair work was underway in the basement to address waterlogging and seepage, while construction or extension work was also being carried out on the ground floor. Investigators are examining whether these works affected the structure, but police have not concluded that they caused the collapse.

PG management under scrutiny

Sudhanshu was one of two business partners operating the accommodation under the Hostel Daze name. Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday  that both operators were being sought by police. Sudhanshu was subsequently arrested, while the second operator, identified as Shubham Tyagi, remained on the run as of Wednesday morning.

Police are also investigating whether adequate due diligence was carried out before students were housed in the building. Indian Express reported that Sudhanshu dealt with prospective tenants, managed the 16-bed facility and its maintenance, and was also responsible for getting rent agreements signed. 

Three members of the building-owning family, Hariram Gupta, his wife Urmila Gupta and their son Mahesh Gupta, had already been arrested. Police say the property was registered in Urmila’s name, while Hariram and Mahesh were involved in its management.

Delhi Police registered FIR No. 153/26 at South Campus police station under Sections 105, 290 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, covering culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligent conduct concerning buildings and acts endangering life or personal safety.

As RNA Media had earlier reported, the five-storey student accommodation in Satya Niketan collapsed on September 6, triggering a multi-agency rescue operation. The toll later rose to seven, while the investigation shifted towards alleged building alterations, maintenance and regulatory oversight.

The FIR alleges that additional floors had been constructed despite concerns about the load-bearing capacity of the old structure. These allegations remain part of the police investigation and have not yet resulted in a final finding on the cause of the collapse.

MCD survey, court scrutiny 

The municipal corporation of Delhi has suspended five South Zone officials, including the deputy commissioner, while a citywide survey of PG accommodation has begun. On the first day, officials identified 1,120 PG units housing 20,481 people, including 52 operating from buildings classified as dilapidated.

The Delhi high court has also sought reports from the MCD and Delhi University on the safety of student accommodation, while the supreme court has indicated that it may consider wider guidelines on unsafe and unauthorized construction.

With the PG operator and contractor now in custody, the police probe is increasingly focused on the chain of responsibility for the building’s ownership, operation, maintenance and repair work. The investigation into the precise structural cause and individual criminal responsibility remains underway.