A five-storey building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan area has taken away the 21-year-old son of a family from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh. After cremating his son Arpit Jaj on Tuesday, father Bhupendra Jaj folded his hands and made an emotional appeal to parents across the country, urging them never to send their children to Delhi to study. The grief of losing a young son and his worry for other families were both evident as he spoke.
Second-year commerce student
Arpit was a second-year BCom student at a degree college in Delhi. Family members, friends, teachers and neighbours were all present, visibly grieving, at his final journey. Speaking to reporters after bidding farewell to his son, Bhupendra said, "I just want to tell all parents not to send their children to Delhi to study." He said he had become completely desperate, having struggled through many financial and personal hardships just to educate Arpit in Delhi, all so that his son could build a better future.
One eye lost in the collapse, family to donate the other
Bhupendra said one of Arpit's eyes was damaged in the building collapse. Even amid their grief, the family has now decided to donate his other eye, hoping it can restore sight for a patient in need. The decision reflects the family's wish to help others even as they mourn their own loss.
No help from Delhi's administration in the search
Bhupendra, who runs a taxi business in Dewas, said that when he rushed to Delhi to look for his son right after the collapse, he faced enormous difficulty and received no meaningful assistance from the city's administration. "We kept searching for Arpit everywhere, from the accident site to the hospitals, but no one was willing to tell us anything," he said. He added that it was only with the help of a lawyer that the family was finally able to identify the body, confirming their son's death.
Family demands a thorough probe and strict action
Bhupendra demanded a detailed investigation into the collapse and strict action against whoever is found responsible. He also said the administration must pay attention to other dilapidated buildings around the site to prevent similar tragedies in the future. His demand reflects concern not just for justice for his own son, but for the safety of other students living in Delhi.
"He was the light of our family," says grandfather
Arpit's grandfather, Makhanlal Jaj, said with a heavy heart, "He was the light of our family." He said the family had lost its support. According to relatives, Arpit celebrated Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami at home before leaving Dewas for Delhi on September 5. He reached the national capital on September 6, just a day after enjoying the festivities with his family.
Collapse struck hours after he arrived, body identified on September 7
Relatives said the Satya Niketan building collapsed just a few hours after Arpit reached Delhi, killing him. Contact with him was lost completely right after the accident, deepening his family's anxiety. His body was identified on September 7, after which it was brought back to Dewas, where family members, relatives and acquaintances bid him a tearful final farewell.
