Delhi UPSC aspirants death: Wife of arrested SUV driver defends husband, says ‘anyone who drives will do what he did…’

Shima Kathuria, the wife of businessman Manuj Kathuria, has defended her husband following his arrest in connection with a tragic flood-related incident in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar that claimed lives of 3 UPSC aspirants. Manuj Kathuria was detained after his SUV allegedly contributed to flooding that breached the gates of Rau's Study Circle coaching center. His vehicle has also been seized.

In an interview with News18, Shima Kathuria explained that police had initially questioned her husband about the incident, assuring them there would be no criminal liability. However, shortly after, Manoj Kathuria was arrested, leading to confusion and distress for the family.

Shima described the situation as alarming, noting that they were only informed of the charges—under Section 105, a non-bailable offense—after several requests for the FIR copy were denied.

Shima Kathuria disputed claims that her husband’s SUV was speeding, asserting that video evidence shows the vehicle’s brake lights were on and that Manoj was driving cautiously in an attempt to navigate through the water.

According to her, the water had risen to the bonnet level before Manoj could safely turn back, leaving him with no option but to proceed forward.

“The brake lights were on. In a situation where the water comes up to the bonnet of your car, no person wants to deliberately get into that so he was constantly braking. By the time he realised the water had come up to the bonnet, it was too late for him to turn back. The only way forward was to cross the waterlogged road and get to a safe spot which anyone who drives will do. That’s what he did.” Kathurias told News18.

Expressing confidence in the judicial system, Shima stated, "We believe our judicial system will deliver justice. My husband was merely trying to reach a safe spot in an emergency situation."

Earlier, speaking to news agency PTI, Shima had said the gate of the Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar must have weakened due to the waterlogging in the area.

“The gate (of a coaching centre) cannot break like that. The gate must have weakened due to frequent waterlogging in the area."

Shima Kathuria explained that her husband’s car would have stalled if he had stopped in the floodwaters. He was focused on driving straight to avoid collisions, as he was unfamiliar with the area or the locations of the institutes.

On Saturday evening, three civil services aspirants tragically lost their lives when water from a flooded drain surged into the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar, where a library was located.