18-year-old Arpit Jai lost his life in Delhi PG collapse; his parents made a heartbreaking decision to donate his cornea so he can have a second life

For Arpit Jai’s family, Sunday began with his return to Delhi after the Rakshabandhan holidays and ended with the death of their 18-year-old son in a building collapse. Arpit had reached his paying guest accommodation in Satya Niketan that morning after travelling from his hometown in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Hours later, the five-storey building collapsed, trapping students inside, and Arpit was among those killed.

Amid the grief, his family made the decision to donate his corneas, allowing his eyes to potentially help someone else see.

Arpit was a second-year student at Delhi University’s Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam College and was one of seven people who died when the PG building, known as Hostel Daze, collapsed in Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon.


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Arpit had returned to Delhi hours before collapse

Arpit reached Delhi at around 7 am on Sunday after spending Rakshabandhan with his family in Dewas. By the afternoon, the building where he was staying had collapsed.

After learning about the incident, his family tried to contact him, but his phone was switched off. His parents subsequently travelled to Delhi as the search for their son continued.

Arpit’s father, Bhupendra Jai, later spoke about how quickly their lives had changed.

“My son had just returned from our hometown after the Rakshabandhan holidays. He had reached back to his PG yesterday morning, and the next time we saw is his dead body,” he said, according to media reports.

The family also expressed regret over not knowing about the condition of the accommodation.

“Everyone is telling us how bad the condition of the PG. I wish my son had told me before. I would have never let him stay there,” his father said.

Friends searched through the night

Arpit’s friends and family spent hours looking for him after the collapse. One of his friends told media outlets that they continued searching through the night.

The family was later informed by AIIMS that a body matched the identity details they had provided. His identity was eventually confirmed through birthmarks.

“At around 6:30 am, his family reached, and finally they were able to do the identification of Arpit. The mother confirmed it by birthmarks on his body,” the friend said.

Family donates Arpit’s corneas

Despite the circumstances surrounding his death, Arpit’s family agreed to donate his corneas.

According to Humans of Bombay, Arpit’s father looked at his son for the last time and reflected on everything the teenager still had ahead of him.

“My boy had so much left to see,” he said. “If he can’t be here, let his eyes help someone else see.”

Before leaving for Arpit’s last rites, the family donated his corneas at AIIMS.

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Seven killed in Satya Niketan building collapse

Arpit was among seven people killed after the PG building in Satya Niketan collapsed on Sunday afternoon. The property, known as Hostel Daze, was being used to accommodate students near Delhi University’s South Campus.

Rescue teams pulled 12 people from the debris, while seven others died.

Police said repair or construction work was underway when the structure collapsed. The building’s owner, Hariram Gupta, was later arrested in Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi area, while a magisterial inquiry was ordered into the incident.

The collapse also prompted wider concern over student accommodation in the area, including the condition of older buildings, alleged unauthorised construction and safety arrangements at privately operated PG accommodations.

Following the incident, some students living in nearby accommodations began leaving the area, while some parents asked their children to return home.