New Delhi, 30 July

The NHRC has issued notices to the Delhi government, city police chief and municipal commissioner in connection with the deaths of three civil services aspirants in the basement of a coaching centre here.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sought a detailed report from them in two weeks, a statement said.

The Delhi chief secretary has also been asked to get a thorough survey done to ascertain the exact number of such institutes and coaching centres running in violation of the prescribed norms across Delhi. Every detail of such institutes, including complaints pending against them and action taken by the department concerned, is to be mentioned in the report, the statement issued by the NHRC said.

The NHRC said it has "taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that three students drowned in the flooded basement library of a prominent civil services coaching centre in Delhi on 27 July ".

The news reports indicated that many complaints regarding waterlogging were made to the authorities, but "no action was taken".

Expressing serious concern over the incident, the commission observed that the contents of the news report indicate negligence on the part of the authorities concerned.

The commission also took cognisance of the death of another civil services aspirant in Delhi's Patel Nagar area.

It has been noted that a few days back, reportedly in another incident of authorities' negligence, another civil services aspirant died due to electrocution while crossing a waterlogged street. The commission has taken suo motu cognisance of it, the statement said.