Jabalpur: In a significant development in the Bargi Dam cruise tragedy, a district court in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur on Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of the incident that claimed 13 lives and directed the police to register an FIR against the boat driver and crew members, citing serious lapses in rescue efforts.
Judicial Magistrate D.P. Sutrakar said that the “failure” of the cruise boat driver and other crew members to attempt rescuing drowning passengers amounts to an attempt to commit culpable homicide.
The court instructed the Bargi police station to register the FIR within two days and report compliance.
The tragedy occurred on April 30 when a state tourism department-operated cruise boat capsized in the Bargi Dam reservoir.
Thirteen people, including women and a child, lost their lives, while 28 passengers were rescued.
The incident has triggered widespread concern over safety protocols and operational accountability.
In its order, the court noted that information gathered from media reports and social media indicated that the vessel was being operated improperly at the time of the accident.
It further said that the driver escaped unhurt without making any effort to save the passengers, leaving them to fend for themselves in the water.
The court said that such conduct falls under Sections 106 and 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with culpable homicide-related offences.
It warned that failure to initiate legal action could set a dangerous precedent, potentially encouraging similar negligence in the future.
“To prevent recurrence of such incidents and ensure accountability, the court is compelled to take suo motu cognisance and order registration of an FIR,” the court order said.
The court also commended individuals involved in rescuing victims, acknowledging their timely intervention.
Meanwhile, fresh concerns have emerged regarding the handling of the vessel after it was retrieved from the reservoir.
The cruise boat was reportedly cut into pieces after being salvaged, drawing objections from survivors who said that this has compromised crucial evidence.
Advocate Roshan Anand, one of the survivors who was onboard with nine members of his family, all of whom survived, raised serious questions about the decision to dismantle the vessel.
He said that once the cruise had been recovered, its engine and structural integrity should have undergone a detailed forensic examination.
“The vessel was around 20 years old. Its material quality, structural condition, and onboard safety mechanisms should have been thoroughly inspected. By cutting it apart, the possibility of examining these aspects has been eliminated,” Anand said.
He added that while the engine has been taken away for technical inspection, the destruction of the vessel’s body has made it impossible to assess whether any structural failure contributed to the accident.
Responding to the concerns, Bargi City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Anjul Ayank Mishra clarified that the vessel was cut open by teams from the SDRF and NDRF as part of a rescue protocol to ensure that no passengers were trapped inside.
He confirmed that the engine has been secured and handed over to a technical team for further examination.
The Madhya Pradesh government has already ordered a probe into the incident, but the court’s intervention is expected to intensify scrutiny on both operational negligence and post-incident handling of evidence.
As investigations proceed, the tragedy has once again highlighted the urgent need for stricter enforcement of safety standards and accountability mechanisms in water-based tourism activities.
(IANS)
