Kerala boat mishap: Won't allow tragedy to be forgotten, says HC while initiating PIL

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dubbed the houseboat tragedy in Malappuram district as “shocking” and “haunting” while initiating a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on its own to probe the tragedy that has claimed 22 lives.

The court said it “will not allow the tragedy to be forgotten”, news agency PTI reported this morning. The PIL initiated by the court aims to find out why the authorities allowed the vessel to operate in violation of rules.

A bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Shoba Annamma Eapen said their “hearts were bleeding” and they “underwent sleepless nights” after seeing the bodies of the children. The court said the accident was a result of “the deadly cocktail of callousness, greed and official apathy”. The court said the PIL has been initiated to ensure that such an incident does not recur.

Also read: 12 boat tragedies that have left Kerala mourning over the past century

Preliminary probe has pointed to overcrowding as the cause of the accident. Officials said 40 tickets had been sold but the possibility of more passengers on the houseboat when it overturned could not be ruled out.

Several other glaring lapses, which may have led to the tragedy, have also come to light. The recreational, double-decker boat reportedly did not have a fitness certificate. Moreover, the houseboat was operating after dusk in violation of norms, it is learnt.

SIT constituted

Meanwhile, the Kerala police on Tuesday constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the tragic boat mishap.

State police chief Anil Kant issued an order entrusting Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das S with heading the team, an official statement said. Tanur DYSP VV Benny, Tanur station house officer Jeevan George and Kondotty ASP Vijay Bharat Reddy are the other members of the SIT. The probe would be held under the direct supervision of North Zone IG Neeraj Kumar Gupta. The DGP directed to complete the probe and submit the report at the earliest, the statement added.

Also read: Malappuram houseboat accident: Death toll rises to 22; CM reaches site

While announcing a judicial probe into the tragedy on Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also said that a SIT of the Kerala police would probe the matter.

A packed houseboat overturned near an estuary close to Thoovaltheeram beach at Tanur in Malappuram around 7.30 pm on Sunday. Twenty two bodies have been recovered so far and the rescue work is still on. District officials have said 15 of the victims are minors, the youngest about eight months old.

(With Agency inputs)