Kerala - Kochi   

Police blamed for not booking teachers

Kochi: Even as the owner-cum-driver of the boat involved in the Thattekkad boat tragedy was convicted for offence punishable under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code, Additional Sessions Judge P.D. Sarangadharan criticised the police for not booking teachers who had accompanied the students.

The accident occurred on February 20, 2007. Fifteen children and three teachers of St. Antony’s Upper Primary School, Elavoor, lost their lives when the boat in which they were riding capsized in the Thattekad Lake. The judge will pronounce the sentence on Saturday.

Holding boat driver P.M. Raju guilty of offences under Section 280 (rash navigation of vessel) and Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, the judge observed: “the teachers accompanying the students were negligent. But the investigation officer has not conducted any investigation into this aspect. He has given extra-judicial judgement acquitting these people without investigation.” The fact that the teachers were also a victim was “not a ground to underestimate or ignore the negligence shown by them,” the court added.

The court said the boat carried 61 persons, 10 times the permitted passenger capacity. In fact, the boat was unscientifically altered by him.

The judge observed that the statement given by the accused would show that he had knowledge about the capacity of the boat and the consequences that might follow if the boat carried passengers exceeding its capacityThe court added that the teachers had not discharged their responsibility properly. If they had done that, the unfortunate incident could have been averted. Excursions and study tours were as important as classroom learning. In fact, the excursion was undertaken without proper planning and homework. Besides, the teachers and the authorities were not aware of the facilities available at Thattekad. The court dismissed the excuse of the accused that he was forced to take out the boat under pressure from the teachers.

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