The Delhi Police have arrested the operator of a paying guest accommodation in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse case, taking the total number of arrests to five.
According to the police, accused Mahesh Gupta told investigators during his police remand that he had leased the building to two business partners, Shubham Tyagi and Sudhanshu, in August 2025.
The two allegedly operated the property as a PG under the name "Hostel Daze". Police have arrested Sudhanshu, while Shubham Tyagi is currently missing.
Mahesh allegedly told the police that the two PG operators paid him Rs 1.05 lakh every month as rent.
With Sudhanshu's arrest, five people have now been arrested in the case. They include 81-year-old Hariram Gupta (owner of the building), his wife Urmila Gupta, their son Mahesh Gupta, labour contractor Sanoj and PG operator Sudhanshu. Shubham Tyagi remains on the run.
The five-storey building in Delhi's Satya Niketan came crashing down in seconds on Sunday afternoon, killing seven people and injuring six others. The building, which was around 50 years old, housed nearly 75 students in paying guest rooms.
Civic authorities have decided to demolish the adjoining structure in a calibrated, phase-wise manner after finding it weakened and unsafe.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered a major crackdown on illegal constructions across the city following the incident.
The Chief Minister has directed the MCD to conduct demolition drives against illegal constructions in several areas of Delhi today. Senior municipal officials have been asked to remain on the ground during the action.
The government has also ordered intensive inspections of PG accommodations and hostels across Delhi, with action to be taken against illegal constructions.
The Chief Minister has further directed officials to scrutinise building records to determine when the alleged illegal construction took place and which authority had jurisdiction over the property at the time.
