CM Pinarayi Vijayan orders judicial probe into Kerala boat tragedy

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has ordered a judicial inquiry into the boat tragedy at Malappuram which killed 22 people, including 15 children. The CM announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the relatives of the deceased and said that the expenses of treatment of the injured will be borne by the state government. He visited Tirurangadi hospital where many of the injured are admitted and later visited the families of the deceased, accompanied by ministers and opposition leaders.

The deceased includes 11 persons from the same family and one eight-month-old child. Police have taken the boat owner P Nassar into custody, and an investigation is underway. The CM announced that a decision was taken during the meetings that there needs to be a judicial probe in the matter, and the police will form a special investigation team to conduct the investigation.

“The state has witnessed a major tragedy in Tanur. 22 people's lives were lost; 5 people swam and escaped. Out of the 10 people who were hospitalized, 2 have been discharged. Eight people are still under treatment,” he added.

The investigation team will work under the leadership of Malappuram District Police Chief. An impartial investigation will be conducted into this accident and the culprits will be brought before the law. Steps will be taken to take necessary precautions and impose stricter restrictions to prevent such accidents from happening again, the CM further added.

"We are thinking of a judicial commission, which would also include technical experts," he said, and added that a simultaneous police probe will also be underway by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has also registered a suo motu case and sought a report from the district police chief, collector, and Alappuzha chief port surveyor within 10 days. A similar report has also been sought by the child rights panel.