Jabalpur boat tragedy: Court orders FIR against boat operator, says pilot ‘abandoned passengers’

Officials said all missing persons have now been accounted for, and the bodies have been sent to government hospital for postmortem.

NEW DELHI: A district court in Jabalpur on Tuesday ordered an FIR against the cruise boat pilot and other concerned persons in connection with the Bargi Dam tragedy that left 13 people dead, according to an ANI news agency report.“The cruise operator, being aware of the activities and situation of the cruise, exited safely but did not make any effort to save the other passengers, thereby leaving them to die,” the court noted.Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the court observed prima facie negligence on the part of the operator, alleging that he abandoned passengers at the time of the mishap.An FIR to be lodged under Sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 110 (culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the court directed.“If an FIR is not registered and the matter is not investigated, similar incidents may occur in the future, where operators of such vessels may abandon passengers during emergencies. To prevent such incidents, the Court has taken suo motu cognisance and directs that an FIR be registered against the driver and other concerned persons present at the time of the incident,” as quoted by ANI.The court further stressed that failure to investigate such incidents could lead to similar tragedies in the future, where operators might neglect their responsibility during the time of emergency.It also acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of individuals who attempted to rescue the victims.Meanwhile, the Jabalpur district administration confirmed that search operations concluded on Sunday after two more bodies were recovered, taking the death toll to 13.Officials said all missing persons have now been accounted for, and the bodies have been sent to government hospital for postmortem.Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 for the injured.