AHMEDABAD: A day after 14 lives were lost and several people were injured in a boat capsizing incident in Vadodara, the City Police Commissioner established a Special Investigation Team and an FIR was lodged against 18 individuals on Friday. The Manager of a recreation zone and two others were arrested for culpable homicide.
The Vadodara Police Commissioner announced the formation of an SIT to investigate the tragic boat capsizing incident in Harni Lake, Vadodara. This SIT comprises seven police personnel, including three Deputy Commissioners of Police, one Assistant Commissioner of Police, two Police Inspectors, and one Police Sub-Inspector.
The tragedy prompted the police to file an FIR under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code against 18 individuals, including the partners of Kotia Projects, the entity contracted by the civic body to manage Harni Lake Zone.
The Gujarat police have arrested three individuals for culpable homicide not amounting to murder in connection with the boat tragedy. Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya stated, “We have already apprehended the manager of the Harni Lake Zone, Shantilal Solanki, and two boat operators – Nayan Gohil and Ankit. Efforts are underway to apprehend other suspects. Twelve school students and 2 women teachers lost their lives in the incident, and the rescue operation in the lake concluded on Thursday night.”
‘Criminal negligence by firm, boat operators’
Kotia Projects was awarded the contract to operate and maintain Harni Lake Zone, a recreational facility, in 2017 by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. VMC engineer Rajesh Chauhan alleged that the firm, its owners, managers, and boat operators displayed criminal negligence.