Devipatnam boat tragedy: 3 owners, 6 agents booked; ports dept under lens

HYDERABAD: Three partners of KVR Tours and Travels which owned the ill-fated 'Royal Vasishta' boat that capsized in the Godavari near Devipatnam on Sunday have been booked for culpable homicide by East Godavari police. A criminal case under IPC section 304(II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was also registered against six agents who booked the tickets of tourists.
All the accused were picked up from Rajahmundry on Monday and shifted to Rampachodavaram circle inspector office for questioning. Police are also probing the role of officials of department of ports, the nodal agency to grant licence to operate boats, and irrigation department over safety precautions.
Rampachodavaram CI DH Venkateswara Rao told TOI, "We booked nine of them for running the boat despite knowing that the river was in spate. The case was booked following a complaint by Devipatnam tahsildar."
Rao said the boat owners claimed that the licence was granted by the ports officials. "But irrigation officials said that during floods the owners cannot operate boats despite possessing a licence," he said.
The accused were identified as Kodigudla Venkata Ramana, owner of KVR Tours and Travels; Y Achyuthamani, wife of Y Raja Rao, owner of Amaravati Travels and a partner of the ill-fated boat; Prabhavati, wife of Subba Rao, owner of Punnami Tourism.