Kerala - Kochi   

Thattekad tragedy: no petitions filed

kochi: When the deadline for filing petitions before the Pareeth Pillai Commission inquiring into the Thattekad boat tragedy ended on Wednesday, all that the commission has received is just five statements.

No one, including those who demanded a judicial probe into the accident, filed petitions before the commission. Several political parties and organisations had demanded a judicial inquiry into the February 20 incident in which 15 children and three teachers of St. Antony’s Upper Primary School, Elavoor, lost their lives. The accident occurred at 6 p.m. when the boat carrying the schoolchildren, on an excursion, capsized at the Thattekad lake.

The commission received three statements, one each from the Headmistress, convener of the excursion programme and the teachers of the school, detailing the accident.

The complaint made by the schoolteachers through a lawyer seeking action against the police was forwarded to the commission by the State government. However, there was a dispute regarding the time of the accident as boat service was not permitted beyond 6 p.m. in the lake.

The State government had appointed the commission on March 19 with a directive that the report be submitted within three months. However, it took a few months for the government to allot staff and funds for the functioning of the commission. The deadline for submission of the report was extended by three more months. The extended deadline will expire on October 27. The commission is likely to take three more months to complete the investigation.

The commission will hold its sitting on October 17, 18 and 19 at the Angamaly Rest House and later on October 22, 23 and 24. It has issued summons to parents of the children who died in the accident to appear before it. Letters regarding the sitting has been forwarded to the owner and driver of the boat involved in the incident.

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