The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced on Wednesday that a team of professors from IIT-Delhi had examined an SUV involved in the drowning incident of three civil services aspirants at Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar. The professors also inspected the gate of the building where the coaching center is located. According to the CBI’s report submitted to a special court, the experts took measurements of both the vehicle and the gate on Sunday.
The SUV, identified as a Force Gurkha, is also set to be inspected by a domain expert, specifically a motor vehicle inspector. The CBI has requested an additional week to complete this examination, making this request in response to the vehicle owner’s plea for the SUV’s release.
Referring to the postmortem report, the CBI stated that the three UPSC aspirants died due to asphyxia caused by antemortem drowning during the flooding on July 27. The investigation found that around 6:30 pm on that day, heavy rainfall led to water entering the ground floor of the coaching institute following the sudden collapse of sliding gates. This water then flooded the basement where the students were studying.
The CBI identified the three victims as Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Dalvin. The investigation further revealed that Rau’s IAS was operating within a building that had multiple levels, including a basement, stilt/parking area, upper ground floor, and three additional floors. The basement was primarily used as a library where students would study throughout the day and take tests conducted by the coaching institute.
The case, initially handled by the Delhi Police, was transferred to the CBI by the Delhi High Court on August 2 and is being investigated under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 105, which pertains to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
