The rent agreement of Delhi’s now-collapsed Hostel Daze has come under scrutiny after the five-storey building in Satya Niketan collapsed, killing seven residents.

According to the agreement, students were required to pay three months’ security along with one month’s advance rent. It also stated that the security deposit would not be refunded before the completion of the agreement period and that any damage to furniture or fixtures could be deducted from the deposit.

One clause in the agreement stated that the PG authorities were not responsible for casualties or risks to a student.

A separate terms-and-conditions document linked to the hostel also stated that the management would not be liable for compensation in cases involving personal injury, loss or damage to a tenant’s belongings caused by circumstances described as beyond the PG’s control, including sealing, fire, earthquakes and heavy rains.

Strict conditions for students

The agreement also laid down several conditions for tenants. Students were prohibited from putting posters or stickers on hostel walls.

It further stated that students leaving before the agreed period, including those removed for disciplinary reasons, would not receive a refund of hostel fees or security money.

The hostel management was also given the right to shift students to another room or hostel location when circumstances required it. The terms allowed immediate eviction for disciplinary issues without a refund.

Building was unauthorised, report says

The collapsed structure was a five-storey building in Satya Niketan that housed a boys’ hostel. According to a senior MCD official cited in the report, the nearly 50-year-old building stood on around 55 square yards of land in a resettlement colony where permission had been granted only for a two-storey structure.

No building plan had reportedly been approved for the structure.

The building had earlier been in a dilapidated condition. Its owner, Hari Ram Bansal, subsequently spent several months renovating it, and tenants began moving in during August 2026.

The hostel had around 30 rooms, with each room intended to accommodate two to three students. However, construction work was reportedly still underway when the building collapsed.

Labourers were working in the basement at the time of the incident. Of the 11 people rescued, two were labourers, one of whom later died.

Three arrested in Delhi hostel collapse case

Three people have been arrested in connection with the case — Hariram Bansal, his wife Urmila and their son Mahesh Bansal.

Records cited in the report show that electricity connections for the property were registered in the names of Hariram Bansal and Mahesh Bansal, while the property itself was registered in Urmila’s name.

The report also noted that the building was residential and was not intended for commercial use such as operating a paying-guest hostel.

Delhi civic body suspends five officials

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi suspended five officials a day after the tragedy.

Those suspended were Deputy Commissioner (South Zone) Rakesh Kumar, Superintending Engineer Ranvir Singh, Executive Engineer (Building) Lalit Kumar Goel, Assistant Engineer (Building) Sunil Chauhan and Junior Engineer (Building) Ashish Kumar.

Separately, the Delhi High Court ordered a high-level investigation into the collapse and observed that hostel facilities for students coming from outside Delhi were in a “pathetic condition.”

MCD order concerned neighbouring property

On September 6, the MCD had issued an order concerning the neighbouring property, number 13 in Satya Niketan, directing its owner or occupier to demolish the structure because it posed a threat to residents, visitors, passers-by and neighbouring buildings.

The collapsed building, however, was property number 14, according to an MCD statement.

A building collapse in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area near Delhi University’s South Campus has renewed concerns over the safety of accommodation used by students. The building had reportedly been vacated nearly a year ago, but PG accommodation resumed at the property around two to three months before the collapse.

The incident has prompted questions about how the property was occupied again and whether adequate structural and safety checks were carried out before people were allowed to stay there. Delhi Police is registering a case in connection with the collapse and is looking for the property’s owner, identified as Anand Bansal.

Building had been vacated earlier

According to the information reported so far, the building in Satya Niketan had been vacated about a year before the collapse. However, PG accommodation reportedly restarted at the property two to three months ago.

The development has raised questions about the process through which the building was allowed to be occupied again and whether the necessary structural safety checks were conducted.

The Delhi Police has initiated action in connection with the incident and is looking for the property owner. Rescue and relief operations were launched after several people were feared trapped beneath the debris. Teams from the NDRF and Delhi Police reached the location following the collapse.

Student accommodation safety comes into focus

Satya Niketan and surrounding areas are home to a large number of Delhi University students. With university hostels offering limited accommodation, many students depend on private paying guest facilities or rented properties.

The cost and availability of such accommodation can be a significant concern for students, while the collapse has now brought the question of safety standards in private student housing back into focus.

The incident has also raised broader questions about the checks carried out on buildings being used as PG accommodation, particularly when a property has previously been vacated.

Student groups join rescue operations

Student organisations reached the site soon after news of the collapse emerged.

DUSU President Aryan Maan visited the location and took stock of the situation. He also spoke with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the Delhi Police Commissioner over the phone regarding the incident and rescue operation.

ABVP National General Secretary Virendra Solanki also reached the site with other workers. ABVP members assisted the NDRF and Delhi Police during the rescue operation.

The organisation also had representatives at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and AIIMS to assist those affected by the incident. ABVP had separately organised a protest outside the MCD office and demanded the resignation of the MCD Commissioner.

NSUI stages protest over safety concerns

NSUI President Vinod Jakhar also visited the site and questioned the government over alleged lapses in safety standards.

NSUI workers staged a protest at the location but were later removed by police. Members of the organisation also participated in rescue-related efforts, while Jakhar visited AIIMS to meet injured people.

The organisation’s election in-charge Akhilesh Yadav also questioned the government over the incident while stating that NSUI workers were working to assist those affected.

Satya Niketan collapse becomes DUSU election issue

The building collapse has occurred ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union elections, adding another issue to the political contest between ABVP and NSUI.

Both student organisations have also released helpline numbers through their social media platforms and asked their workers to remain deployed at hospitals to assist students and families.

The Satya Niketan incident has therefore put two issues in focus: the safety and affordability of private accommodation for Delhi University students and accountability over buildings being used for such accommodation.

With DUSU elections approaching, student safety and housing conditions are also expected to remain part of the political discussion on the campus.

Three people have died and two others are critically injured after a six-storey building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon. Several more people are feared trapped under the debris as rescue operations continue at the site.

Nine people have been rescued so far, while authorities are searching for others who may still be trapped. The building, which was being used as a 75-bed paying guest accommodation, collapsed at around 1:30 pm, according to officials.

Building was being used as a PG accommodation

According to police, the building was around 40 to 50 years old and consisted of a basement and five upper floors. It was being used as a paying guest accommodation, with repair work reportedly underway in the basement when the collapse occurred.

The building was located in Satya Niketan, near Delhi University’s South Campus, an area with a large student population.

An eyewitness said at least 50 students were believed to have been inside the building when it collapsed. A student at the scene also reported hearing cries for help from beneath the rubble.

Rescue operation underway

Teams from the Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Disaster Management Authority have been deployed for the rescue operation.

At least 12 fire tenders have been sent to the spot. An excavator has also been deployed, while additional machinery is being brought in to remove concrete slabs and girders from the debris.

Locals were also seen helping with the initial search before rescue teams and machinery reached the site.

The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said. She added that rescue work was being carried out on a war footing and that authorities were coordinating efforts to assist those affected.

Government agencies coordinate rescue efforts

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said concerned agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service and DDMA, had been directed to work together to ensure swift rescue operations.

Local BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who was at the site, said some students were still believed to be trapped and that some were reportedly making calls from inside the collapsed structure.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj blamed alleged corruption for the incident and raised questions about building safety and inspections. His comments were political allegations and no official cause for the collapse has been established in the report.