Vadodara Accident: Boating Contract Was Sub-Let To Another Firm, Operator Had No Experience, Say Police

According to police the boat operator had no prior experience and his helper did not even know how to swim.

As many as 12 students and two teachers among a group of picnickers died after the boat, which was prima facie overloaded and capsized in Motnath Lake in Harni area. ( Image Source :PTI )

Gujarat Boat Tragedy: In the latest developements that have come to the fore in the investigation into the Vadodara boat capsize tragedy, it has been revealed that the firm managing the lake recreation zone had sub-let the contract for boating activities to another company, as reported by news agency PTI. A senior police official said on Saturday that owner of the company and another person was booked.

According to police the boat operator had no prior experience and his helper did not even know how to swim. On Thursday, as many as 12 students and two teachers among a group of picnickers died after the boat, which was prima facie overloaded and capsized in Motnath Lake in Harni area.

Speaking on the developments pertaining to the case, Vadodara police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot on Saturday said that the names of Paresh Jain and Nilesh Shah were added to the First Information Report (FIR), as reported by PTI. Jain is the owner of Dolphin Entertainment which was given a sub-contract by Kotia Projects that developed the lakefront for recreational purposes, he said.

Speaking to the reporters, Gehlot said that Shah was involved with Kotia Projects and had also played a role in appointing three of the six persons, arrested by the police after the tragedy, as directors of the firm. "Police have found that one of the 18 accused named initially in the FIR had died in the past. With the new additions (names of Jain and Shah), the number of the accused in this case has risen to 19," he said, as quoted by PTI.

So far, police have arrested six persons while a lookout notice (LOC) was issued against others who are absconding, Gehlot said. On Saturday, the six accused were remanded in police custody till January 25. "Interrogation of the accused and scanning of their mobile phones revealed that Paresh Jain and Nilesh Shah were being provided reports of income generated from the sale of tickets (at the lake) etc. every day," he said, as quoted by PTI.

"Other information regarding activities at the lake zone was also provided to them by staff members of the firm. The duo was also briefed daily on other aspects by staffers," the police commissioner said.

The investigation so far revealed that Kotia Projects, which had signed an MoU with the Vadodara civic body to develop the Motnath lake zone, had given a sub-contract for boating activities to Dolphin Entertainment, he said. "Jain is the owner of Dolphin Entertainment and Shah was involved with Kotia Projects. Shah's wife, his son and a daughter are already named in the FIR against 19 persons," the police commissioner said, as quoted by PTI.

On Friday, Gujarat Police said that it had arrested Bhimsingh Yadav, Vedprakash Yadav and Rashmikant Prajapati, who are partners in Kotia Projects, as well as the firm's manager Shantilal Solanki.

Two boat operators, identified as Nayan Gohil and Ankit Vasava, were also held in connection with the boat capsize. According to PTI, the Vadodara civic body terminated the contract of Kotia Projects after the boat tragedy.

"Among the six persons arrested so far in the case are a manager of Kotia Projects and two boat operators. They have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The boat operator had no prior experience of operating the boat, and his helper did not even know how to swim," Gehlot said, as quoted by PTI.

Police registered a case on Thursday under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code against 18 persons, PTI reported. One of them has died.

The case is being handled by a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic), Manoj Ninama. Other members include DCPs Panna Momaya and Yuvrajsinh Jadeja, and ACP HA Rathod. According to the FIR, the boat started swaying due to overload and capsized in the lake following water ingress from the front side. Eighteen students and two teachers were rescued.