The Gujarat police have arrested three persons including the two boat operators in connection with Harni boat tragedy on Friday. As many as 16 persons including two teachers got killed in the incident.
Vadodara police have arrested Shantilal Solanki, the manager of the Harni Lake Zone and the two boat operators - Nayan Gohil and Ankit. Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya told PTI, “Efforts are on to nab other culprits. Twelve school students and two women teachers have lost their lives in the incident. Rescue operation in the lake ended on Thursday night.”
Following the tragedy on Thursday afternoon, the Harni police had registered 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 persons, including the partners of Kotia Projects, which was given the contract to run Harni Lake Zone by the civic body.
In a tragic incident at least 16 people died as a boat, carrying 27 students, capsized in Vadodara, Gujarat on Thursday. A preliminary probe by authorities revealed the boat, which was pulled out from the muddy waters, had only 14 seats, nearly half of the number of persons it was carrying at the time of the incident, officials said.
An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF has been announced for the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would receive an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000.
Meanwhile, school authorities charged that operators started the boat without providing life jackets. “The incident happened as the boat was overloaded. Our teachers had told the people out there about it, however, they started the boat without even providing life jackets to all the students,” said Russy Wadia, trustee of New Sunrise School told PTI.
