‘You Waste Your Own Time’: Delhi HC Declines Urgent Listing Of PIL Seeking Hostels In All DU Colleges

New Delhi: In the aftermath of the PG building collapse in Delhi’s Satya Niketan that claimed seven lives, another public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to Delhi University (DU) to ensure that every college affiliated with the university has hostel facilities for students. However, the High Court on Tuesday refused to hear the plea on an urgent basis.

The PIL, filed by National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) national president Vinod Jakhar, was mentioned before the court on Tuesday for urgent listing. The court, however, declined to list the matter urgently. For the unversed, NSUI is the student wing of the Congress.

Advocate Vimal Tyagi, representing Jakhar, appeared before a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia and mentioned the matter for urgent hearing on Tuesday, according to Bar and Bench.

“Can this direction be issued by way of an interim mandamus (order)? It will be taken up tomorrow. Unnecessarily you waste your own time. Can such a direction be issued (by the court)?” Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya remarked to advocate Vimal Tyagi. The PIL will be taken up on Wednesday.

Earlier on Monday, during the hearing of another PIL, a Division Bench led by Chief Justice Upadhyaya observed that the responsibility for the building collapse was not limited to the PG owner but also extended to Delhi University (DU) and civic authorities. The court also highlighted the “absolutely inadequate” availability of hostels for students.

CJ Upadhyaya noted that the shortage of university and government-run hostels was pushing students towards potentially unsafe PGs and hostels, while questioning whether authorities had taken adequate steps to regulate such accommodations.

The court further directed the MCD to inspect all buildings being used as PGs and hostels and submit a report within a week on whether the required permissions and building bylaws had been followed during construction.