The contract of a firm operating the recreation zone of a lake in Vadodara in Gujarat in which a boat capsized a couple of days ago killing 12 students and two teachers has been cancelled by the local civic body, an official said today, January. The Gujarat police had arrested six persons in connection with the boat tragedy, an official said on Friday, January 19. About 18 students and two teachers were rescued from the boat which capsized in Harni Lake on the outskirts of Vadodara city on Thursday, January 18.
Speaking about cancelling the permission, the civic body's standing committee chairperson Sheetal Mistry said that the contract of Kotia Projects, the firm which developed, operated and maintained the lakefront for recreational purposes, has been terminated by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). "The lakefront was developed under the PPP model and the firm had to pay Rs 3,01,111 annually to VMC. The contract was terminated by the municipal commissioner due to a breach of conditions. The premises have been sealed. The lease period was for 30 years," Mistry said.
Those arrested include three partners of Kotia Projects, a firm that had been given the contract to operate the Harni Lake Zone by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, a police official said. Giving more details, Vadodara police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot said that the others who have been arrested are a manager of Kotia Projects and two boat operators, and all have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, PTI reported.
On Thursday, the police 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. The arrested persons have been identified as Kotia Projects partners Bhimsingh Yadav, Vedprakash Yadav and Rashmikant Prajapati, the firm's manager Shantilal Solanki and boat operators Nayan Gohil and Ankit Vasava, as per police.
"We have formed a special investigation team (SIT) in connection with the incident and to nab other culprits. Those guilty will not be spared," Gehlot said. The seven-member SIT will be led by Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic), Manoj Ninama, while other members include Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya, DCP Yuvrajsinh Jadeja and ACP HA Rathod, the official added.
Following the incident, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation sealed the lake area and prohibited the entry of unauthorised persons as well as those associated with the contracting firm.
FIR lodged
According to the FIR, Kotia Projects was given a contract by VMC to operate the Harni Lake Zone in 2017. In his complaint, VMC engineer Rajesh Chauhan said the firm, its owners, managers and boat operators indulged in criminal negligence on several counts, be it non-maintenance of boats or not keeping an adequate number of life-saving equipment and life jackets, PTI reported.
Further, it was revealed that only a few students were given life jackets and no instructions were given to them. Due to overload, the FIR said, the boat first started swaying and then capsized following water ingress from the front side.
Incidentally, on Thursday, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Sanghavi had told reporters only 10 students on board were wearing life jackets, which proved the organisers were at fault. Additionally, Gujarat Education Minister Kuber Dindor too had said the boat was carrying more persons than the stipulated number.
“I have also learnt students were not wearing life jackets at the time of the accident. We will take action against those found guilty (of these lapses),” Dindor had said on the night of January 18. Meanwhile, a preliminary probe by authorities also revealed that the boat, which was pulled out from the muddy waters, had only 14 seats, while more than 30 persons were on board.
