The Delhi Police investigation into the Satya Niketan building collapse has taken a new turn with two more names emerging in connection with the property, which was being operated as a paying guest (PG) accommodation.
According to police sources, Mahesh Bansal, son of the property's owner Hariram Bansal, told investigators during questioning that the building had been leased to two business partners, Shubham Tyagi and Sudhanshu, in August 2025, as reported by News18.
The duo allegedly operated the premises as a PG under the name ‘Hostel Daze’. Police on Wednesday confirmed that Sudhanshu has been arrested, while further investigation into the collapse is underway.
Satya Niketan Building Collapse: What Happened?
The five-storey building, which housed a boys' PG in Satya Niketan near Delhi University's South Campus, collapsed at around 1.30 pm on Sunday while repair work was being carried out.
The collapse killed seven people and left five others injured. Rescue operations continued for nearly 27 hours following the incident.
The building was reportedly several decades old and had a persistent water seepage problem in the basement, according to police sources.
Spread across approximately 55 square metres, the structure consisted of a basement, a ground floor and four upper floors. Police said there were two rooms on each floor, with two beds in each room.
Investigators have also found that the structure allegedly did not have columns and beams, raising further questions about its structural safety.
Three Family Members Arrested
The police have already arrested 81-year-old Hariram Gupta, his 75-year-old wife Urmila Gupta and their 52-year-old son Mahesh Gupta in connection with the building collapse.
While Hariram was initially identified as the owner, police later found through documents that Urmila Gupta was the owner of the property.
Hariram and Mahesh allegedly managed the PG, according to the investigation.
With Sudhanshu's arrest, the police probe is now also focusing on the role of the individuals who had taken the property on lease and were allegedly running the PG accommodation.
MCD Suspends Four Engineers
The civic administration has also taken action following the deadly collapse. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended South Zone Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar and four engineers pending disciplinary proceedings.
