New Delhi: Rouse Avenue Court on September 4 sent all six accused of Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar coaching centre drownings of three UPSC aspirants, to judicial custody till September 18, 2024. The case is under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The accused were presented in court by the CBI following the conclusion of their remand period, which was granted during the previous hearing.
In the previous hearing, the court observed that custodial interrogation of the accused was crucial for the ongoing investigation. As a result, it remanded Abhishek Gupta, Deshpal Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, Sarabjit Singh, and Parvinder Singh to police custody for four days.
The court said, the purpose of custodial interrogation is to aid the investigation and it is one of the effective modes of investigation into an alleged crime. It has been held by the Supreme Court that in case of serious offences, the Investigation Officer should have a free hand to continue and complete the investigation.
Appearing for the CBI, Senior Public Prosecutor Prashant Kumar has stated that custodial interrogation of the accused is necessary for the investigation and noted that the CBI has not yet taken the accused into police custody.
Recently, the court rejected a petition by Abhishek Gupta, CEO of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, seeking to resume classes at the coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar. This petition followed the tragic drowning of three IAS aspirants due to basement flooding on July 27. The CBI opposed the petition, arguing that the basement, where the incident occurred, was being improperly used as a library rather than for storage as intended.
