Tehseen Poonawalla detained during Satya Niketan candlelight vigil, questions police action
NEW DELHI, September 9: Activist and Team Bharat founder Tehseen Poonawalla was detained by Delhi Police along with Abhinay Pandey and Kuldeep Jansangh while they were holding a silent candlelight vigil to pay tribute to the seven people killed in the Satya Niketan PG building collapse. Police took the three to Mandir Marg Police Station, according to reports.
Poonawalla, who has been a vocal national critic of E20 petrol blending and has frequently raised issues of public accountability, had called for the candlelight vigil to honour the victims and demand responsibility for the tragedy. In his stated demands, he sought accountability at the top civic level, including action against MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar, an independent probe into the alleged PG “cartel”, mandatory structural safety audits of student accommodations and greater transparency from civic authorities.
After his detention, Poonawalla questioned the police action, asking why those holding candles in silence to mourn the dead were detained instead of officials responsible for ensuring building safety. He specifically questioned why the MCD Commissioner was not being arrested or held accountable while citizens exercising a peaceful, symbolic form of protest were taken to a police station. His lawyers subsequently secured his release, according to his account.
The Satya Niketan tragedy has intensified scrutiny of Delhi’s student-housing system. The five-storey PG building collapsed on Sunday, killing seven people, including five Delhi University students. Police investigations have found alleged structural and regulatory lapses, while a PG operator has been arrested and another operator is reported to be absconding.
The tragedy has also triggered wider institutional action. The Delhi High Court has taken up a PIL seeking adequate hostel facilities for DU students, while the Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea seeking safety audits of PGs and private student accommodation across Delhi. The NHRC has separately directed authorities to address the shortage of adequate hostel facilities.
The detention of Poonawalla and his associates has consequently added another layer to the growing debate over accountability, student safety and the right to peaceful protest following the Satya Niketan disaster.
