Delhi building collapse LIVE: MCD crackdown underway after CM's bulldozer order; demolition resumes in Satya Niketan | Hindustan Times - Hindustan Times

**Delhi building collapse: MCD crackdown intensifies after chief minister’s bulldozer order**

*New Delhi –* A three‑storey private guest house in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood collapsed on Monday evening, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 30 others. Preliminary investigations by the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) point to illegal floor additions and substandard construction materials as the primary causes. The building, which operated as a paying‑guest (PG) accommodation for students and working professionals, had reportedly been earmarked for demolition in a city‑wide drive against unauthorised structures after a series of similar incidents in the capital over the past three months.

Following the tragedy, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the deployment of bulldozers to raze illegal buildings that pose a public‑safety risk. Within hours, MCD teams began a systematic crackdown, sealing dozens of suspect sites and restarting demolition work in Satya Niketan that had been halted after the collapse. Officials said the renewed demolition will be carried out under strict supervision, with a “zero‑tolerance” stance toward violations of the Delhi Building By‑laws. The MCD also announced a fast‑track audit of all PG and hostel licences, promising to withdraw approvals for any premises found to be non‑compliant.

In parallel with the demolition drive, law‑enforcement agencies placed the building owner’s son, the on‑site PG operator, and the main contractor in police custody for two days each, as part of a broader investigation into potential criminal negligence. The Delhi High Court, hearing a petition filed by victims’ families, ordered the remand and directed that a forensic report on the structural integrity of the collapsed building be submitted within ten days. The incident has reignited public debate over Delhi’s chronic civic shortcomings, with critics citing a pattern of delayed enforcement, inadequate inspections, and a lack of transparency that has allowed unsafe structures to proliferate despite previous warnings.