After the public interest application of the families affected by the Morbi suspension bridge accident, the families impacted by the Vadodara accident are preparing to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court. The writ of the victims has been filed through Advocate Utkarsh Dave. The Supreme Court has demanded heavy fines be levied on the responsible school, VMC Commissioner, Vadodara Collector, and school trustees and principal as per the law.
Allegations of Negligence
Accusations of negligence have been levelled against VMC, with a request made for an investigation into a possible collusion between VMC and the contractor. The accused were allegedly operating an engine boat under the permission of a pedal boat. VMC Commissioner Vinod Rao has filed a notarized document in the Supreme Court, raising questions about how the collector granted NOC. The incident is being described as a man-made accident due to the negligence of officials.
High Court Takes Suo Moto Cognizance
On January 18, a tragic incident occurred at Harni Lake, where 12 innocent children and 2 teachers lost their lives. The High Court took suo moto cognizance of the Vadodara accident case on Sunday. The bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Judge Anirudh Mayini filed the suo moto, and the Secretary of the Home Department of the state was ordered to submit an action taken report. Further hearings on this matter will be held on January 29.
Overcrowded Boat Leads to Tragedy
In the incident, 12 students and 2 teachers of New Sunrise School in Vaghodia drowned to death in Harni Lake during a school trip. The incident happened around 4.45 p.m. Disturbingly, 27 people were seated in a boat with a capacity of 16.
Legal Proceedings Underway
A gazetted officer will file an affidavit, and the Secretary of the Home Department of the state will give an action taken report. This suo moto petition will be heard in the Supreme Court in the coming days.
Arrests Made, Main Accused Absconding
In the aftermath of the Vadodara Harni Lake accident, the Vadodara Crime Branch has arrested six people. The main contractor responsible for this accident, Paresh Shah, is currently absconding. Nayan Gohil, who was operating the boat, runs a snack cart on the lake shore. The police have obtained CCTV footage near the Harni Lake zone of the incident and are conducting further investigations based on this footage.
The arrested accused are:
- Nayan Gohil
- Bhimsingh Yadav
- Shantilal Solanki
- Ankit Vasava
- Ved Prakash Yadav
- Rashmikant Prajapati
Overcrowding for Profit
It has been discovered that more children were filled in the boat to earn money. A charge of Rs 60 per person was levied for children over 5 years old in the lake. The boat, which overturned last Thursday afternoon, leading to the death of 12 innocent children and 2 teachers, was overcrowded with 27 people, despite having a capacity of only 17.
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