New Delhi: Advocate Shubham Tyagi, who had been evading arrest in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse case, surrendered before the Patiala House Court on Friday, a day after the court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.
The Delhi Police has sought two days’ custodial interrogation of Tyagi and co-accused Sudhanshu Lovenish Kumar, who is associated with the operation of the paying-guest (PG) facility at the building.
The development comes after Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler of the Patiala House Court rejected Tyagi’s anticipatory bail plea on Thursday, saying that material collected during the investigation prima facie contradicted his claim that he was merely an investor in the PG business.
The court had recorded that a separate rent agreement showed Tyagi as a co-lessee of the second and third floors of Building number 14 at Satya Niketan Market in Moti Bagh-II, where the boys’ PG was being operated.
The building collapse on September 6 had claimed seven lives, including five students and two labourers, while several others sustained injuries.
The FIR was registered at South Campus Police Station under Sections 105, 290 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), initially against unknown accused.
The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of building owners Urmila Gupta, Hari Ram Gupta and Mahesh Gupta alias Sanjay, contractor Sanoj and PG operator Sudhanshu Lovenish Kumar.
Tyagi had claimed before the court that he was an advocate practising at Patiala House Courts, had no criminal antecedents and was only an investor in the PG business run by his friend Lovenish Kumar.
He had contended that he was neither the owner of the building nor had any control or decision-making authority over its structure.
However, the prosecution produced a rent agreement dated September 6, 2025, executed between building owner Urmila Gupta and Tyagi for the second and third floors of the building.
The court said that the agreement was executed on the same day as another rent agreement relied upon by Tyagi, contained substantially identical terms and was attested by the same notary.
It also noted that Tyagi had signed Lovenish Kumar’s agreement as a witness and Lovenish Kumar had similarly signed Tyagi’s agreement.
The court had also relied on the statement of injured PG occupant Nitish Chib, who said that he had taken accommodation from Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar and was paying Rs 14,500 per month.
According to the statement, construction work had been underway in the basement for around 10 to 12 days before the collapse, while iron rods were also being cut on the ground floor.
The students had objected to the construction noise, following which Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar told them that renovation work was underway and that the PG would be extended to the basement.
The court had said that the statements were relevant at the anticipatory bail stage to examine Tyagi’s claim that he had no knowledge of the construction activity and was merely involved financially.
However, the court had clarified that it was not recording any final finding on whether the offence under Section 105 of the BNS, relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, was ultimately made out against Tyagi.
It had also said that the investigation was at a nascent stage and that aspects, including the extent of the partnership between Tyagi and Lovenish Kumar, the flow of rent collected from students and their knowledge or consent regarding the structural work required further investigation.
The Satya Niketan collapse had also prompted proceedings before the Delhi High Court over alleged regulatory and municipal lapses, with the High Court directing inspections of PG accommodations amid concerns over the safety of such establishments in the national capital.
With Tyagi’s surrender, the police are now seeking his custodial interrogation along with that of Lovenish Kumar as part of the ongoing investigation.
(IANS)
