NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has claimed that a mobile phone jammer was deployed at the site of the Satya Niketan building collapse to stop trapped students and locals from sharing information about the incident and to hide the actual casualty count.“How would someone trapped in a cavity of debris call for help when mobile signals have been jammed? Who ordered the installation of mobile jammers at Satya Niketan PG students’ building? Why did NDRF take 2-3 hours to reach in the middle of Delhi? Why were government ambulances two hours late? Will Delhi University students take up this matter?” Delhi AAP state president Saurabh Bharadwaj was quoted as saying by ANI.“It is often seen in incidents such as building collapses that people trapped under the rubble call their relatives, share their location and seek help. But the shocking aspect of the Satya Niketan accident is that the administration’s first action was to jam mobile signals. Jammers were installed there, due to which neither local residents could call an ambulance or seek help, nor could anyone trapped under the rubble contact anyone,” he alleged.The AAP Delhi unit chief also alleged delays in the emergency response, stating, “the administration’s ambulance arrived two hours after the incident, while the first ambulance to reach the site was a private Blinkit ambulance. Relief and rescue operations also began with a delay of around two to two-and-a-half hours, while the NDRF team arrived three hours late.”The Delhi Police, however, has denied the allegations.“Rumours of mobile jammers at the Satya Niketan rescue site are completely FALSE,” Delhi police said in a post on X.When asked about the Delhi Police’s clarification, Bhardwaj said, “Delhi Police is lying. I was there, along with hundreds of people. Let the Delhi Police officials come, and let the Commissioner and Rekha Gupta come with us to Satya Niketan. Phones were not working there after the incident. Without following due process, the connection at a disaster site was illegally jammed.”Delhi Police have registered an FIR alleging that the building’s owners, Hari Bansal and his brother, added four floors for rental income despite concerns over the structure’s load-bearing capacity. Fresh construction was also underway at the time of the collapse.Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta visited AIIMS to meet the injured and assured them of medical care. She said the state government would provide the best possible medical treatment and financial assistance to the families of the victims.A five-storey building housing a boys’ paying guest accommodation near Delhi University’s South Campus collapsed at around 1.30 pm on Sunday, killing seven students and injuring five others.The incident has since raised questions over building safety, unauthorised construction and the enforcement of rules in residential areas.
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Delhi Police have registered an FIR alleging that the building’s owners, Hari Bansal and his brother, added four floors for rental income despite concerns over the structure’s load-bearing capacity. Fresh construction was also underway at the time of the collapse.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would examine on September 10 whether the issues arising from the building collapse should be taken up by the top court, potentially bringing the case under its ongoing pan-India proceedings.
