Harni Lake

The police have nabbed one absconding accused in the Harni Lake boat capsizing incident. Gopal Shah, a partner in Kotiya Projects who was responsible for the management and maintenance of the Harni Lake, was apprehended by police from Chhattisgarh on Jan 23.

Shah was constantly absconding from police, but with the help of local police, he was nabbed from Chhattisgarh’s Raipur and brought back to Vadodara.

On the other hand, the police were in search of Paresh Shah, one of the main accused, and he was believed to have absconded to Rajasthan.

Acting on a tip-off, the police team nabbed Shah on the Godhra-Halol road while he was travelling to Vadodara to meet his lawyer.

Bineet Kotyia, another main accused among the partners in the maintenance of the lake, was taken under the remand by police till Jan 31.

Updated on Jan 23, at 3 p.m.

Three accused, who were arrested in connection with the boat accident at Harni Lake, gave their statements to the magistrate today.

Project partners Rashmikant Prajapati, Ved Yadav, and Bhimsingh Yadav were produced before the court, and proceedings were taken to get a statement under Section 164, which includes the magistrate recording a confession or statement and forwarding it to the magistrate by whom the case is to be inquired into or tried.

As said by DCP Panna Momaya, the police went to Harni Lake along with the accused under remand. Boat operator Nayan Gohil and helper Ankit were also interrogated at the site of the accident to ascertain how the boat capsized.

They informed the police that when they took off from the platform, suddenly water started to break in from the left end of the boat. Seeing this, the teachers and children were scared, and the boat capsized.

In their statements, rescuers said that the boat took a turn before capsizing, which apparently was missing in the statements of boat operators and helpers.

ACP crime HA Rathod said that police appointed a forensic science lab (FSL) team to the spot for investigation.

During the investigation at Harni Lake, only one out of 10 CCTV cameras were working on the premises.

Even the VMC failed to check that only one entry camera was working.

Boat-maker summoned

The boat in question was built by a Pune-based company. The police also summoned an official from the company to investigate when the boat was built, how old it was, if there were any fitness certificates given to the boat, and what was the reason behind the water logging.

The Gujarat High Court has directed the state government to submit a report on the deaths of students and teachers in the boat tragedy by Jan 29.

Updated on Jan 21, at 12.15 p.m.

Two more names were added to the FIR in the tragic Harni Lake incident- Nilesh Jain and Paresh Shah.

Vadodara police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut said that Paresh Shah, promoter of Harni Motnath Lake contract company Kotiya Projects, handed over the contract to Nilesh Jain, operator of Dolphin Entertainment company.

It was revealed that both Shah and Jain were involved in the management of the lake.

In a major lapse from the contractor’s end, the helpers appointed in the boat did not even know how to swim.

While one of the helpers, Nayan Gohil was present in the boat and knew how to swim without any rescue experience, another helper didn’t know how to swim.

During an investigation on the spot by Vadodara Municipal Corporation, ample life jackets were found.

The municipal commissioner told fire brigade officer Parth Brahmbhatt that in the preliminary search, a bunch of life jackets were found but were not given to students.

On the other hand, in a complaint filed by VMC, major mistakes were pointed out. Paresh Shah, whose family members are partners in Kotiya Projects, was not named properly, mentioning only the first names of the members.

The addresses of the accused were also not mentioned properly in the complaint.

It was revealed that Kotiya Projects has 15 partners, but it is still unclear who managed the operations at the lake.

The SIT officials have arrested six accused, and searches have been going on for 13 other accused.

The police commissioner said that understanding the gravity of the situation and punishing the accused as soon as possible, a special prosecutor of the home department was requested to be appointed.

Updated on Jan 20, at 8 p.m.

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has revoked the contract of Kotiya Projects, the company responsible for managing the recreational area of Harni Motnath lake in Gujarat, where a boating accident recently resulted in the deaths of 12 students and two teachers.

The decision came after investigation revealed the boat was overloaded and lacked sufficient life jackets, VMC’s standing committee chairperson Sheetal Mistry said today.

The contract with Kotiya Projects also involved the development of additional facilities around the lake, including a jogging track, a children’s play area, seating arrangements, fun rides, an amphitheatre, a multi-purpose hall, and the installation of decorative lighting.

The total investment for these enhancements was estimated at ₹7.43 cr.

Harni Motnath Lake managed by Kotiya Projects

Kotiya Projects has been managing the lakefront for recreational activities since 2017 under a Public-Private Partnership model, paying an annual fee of ₹3.01 lakh to VMC for a lease period of 30 years.

Covering 55,164 square metres, Motnath Lake’s management included the operation of pedal and mechanised boats, the establishment of a 42-square-metre jetty, and the provision of lifeguards and rescue vessels.

The contract, awarded in 2017 and fulfilled in 2019, emphasised the need for life jackets and lifeguards for boat riders.

However, the FIR filed after the accident noted the lack of life jackets for most children onboard.

The original proposal for the lake’s management highlighted the importance of safety measures, stating that combining mandatory life jackets and professional lifeguards was crucial for ensuring a secure and enjoyable boating experience.

Despite this, the land was leased to Kotiya Projects at a nominal rate of ₹1 per annum, with VMC waiving municipal taxes.

Updated on Jan 20 11.25 a.m.

The list of the accused in the Harni Lake tragedy have been released.

Binit Kotiya- Partner

Hitesh Kotiya- Partner

Gopaldas Shah- Former town planner

Vatsal Shah- Partner

Dipen Shah- Partner

Dhrumil Shah- Partner

Rashmikant Prajapati- Partner

Jatin Doshi- Partner

Neha Doshi- Partner

Tejal Doshi- Partner

Bhim Singh Yadav- Partner

Ved Prakash Yadav- Partner

Dharmin Bhatani- Partner

Nutan Shah- Partner

Parvati Shah- Partner

Shantilal Solanki- Manager

Nayan Gohil- Boat operator

Ankit Vasava- Boat operator

Out of these, six accused- Rashmikant Prajapati, Bhim Singh Yadav, Shantilal Solanki, Nayan Prajapati, and Ankit Vasava have been arrested by Harni police, and the questioning has been started.

Updated on Jan 19, at 3 p.m.

SIT formed to probe into the matter

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by the police commissioner to investigate the Harni Lake tragedy.

Seven officers, including joint commissioner of police Manoj Ninama (chief), Panna Momaya (supervisor), Yuvrajsinh Jadeja (supervisor), HA Rathod (investigation official), SB Tandel (Harni police), FM Chaudhary (crime branch), and PM Dhakda (crime branch).

Gujarat HC’s remarks over the accident

The Gujarat High Court’s bench, consisting of Justices Sunita Agarwal and Aniruddha P Mayee, remarked over the Harni Lake tragedy, “This is the most tragic incident...this type of recklessness cannot be tolerated at all,” after the HC advocates’ association president Brijesh Trivedi mentioned the issue before the judges.

The HC is likely to present a detailed order on this matter today.

Advocate’s association has also released a statement that no lawyer from the association shall defend the case for the accused.

Updated on Jan 19, at 9 a.m.

The death toll in the tragic incident has reached 17.

Police officials were deployed outside the New Sunrise School, including the principal’s residence below the school building, in light of the event.

An FIR has been filed against 18 people under IPC 304, 308, 337, 338, and 114, including M/S Kotiya Projects for negligence and carelessness.

The FIR also included names of contractor, boat operators, and boat driver.

Updated on Jan 18, at 6.45 p.m.

In a tragic incident reported from Vadodara on Jan 18 at around 4.30 p.m., a boat drowned in the Harni Lake with initial reports suggesting at least 13 students and two teachers confirmed dead.

The lake, which comes under the jurisdiction of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), had given a contract for boating to a private company.

“This evening, 23 school students along with teachers went boating, and only 50% of them had life jackets,” said a source.

Vadodara’s chief fire officer Parth Brahmbhatt said that the boat was carrying students on a picnic when it overturned in the lake during the afternoon.

CM orders probe

Chief minister Bhupendra Patel has handed over Vadodara’s Harni Lake boat accident investigation to the District Magistrate and directed to submit a detailed report of the incident within ten days.

CM Bhupendra Patel and home minister for the state Harsh Sanghavi arrived on the site late in the evening, to analyse the situation and get information about the rescue from the authorities already present on the lake.

Contractor absconding?

According to reports, the contract for the boating on the lake was with a man named Paresh Shah, who is currently absconding. Shah had passed on his contract to Nilesh Jain, and both of them in turn had hired a third-party to manage the boating on Harni lake.

Earlier in the evening, CM Patel announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for the kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured this evening. The CM added that rescue-relief operations and treatment have been underway at the Harni Lake site.

PM Modi and President Droupadi Murmu also expressed their condolences on the tragedy, while the PM declared an ex-gratia of ₹2,00,000 for the family of the deceased, and ₹50,000 for the injured.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge reacted to the news with deep sorrow, urging the Gujarat government and administration to hasten relief and rescue operations.

Deceased in the mishap

The students who lost their lives have been identified as Sakina Sheikh, Muavaza Sheikh, Ayat Mansoori, Rehan Khalifa, Vishwa Nizam, Jahabiya Subedar, Ayesha Khalifa, and Nancy Maachi.

The deceased teachers have been identified as Chhaya Patel and Falguni Surti.

Nine have been reported dead in Janvi hospital, while three have passed away in SSG Hospital (Sir Sayajirao General Hospital).

More than 13 children were admitted to SSG Hospital for treatment after the incident.

The teachers who were present regarding the incident accused the contractor that although the capacity of the boat was 10 to 12 children, they seated 20 to 25 children in a single boat.

Standing committee chairman of Vadodara, Dr Sheetal Mistry said, “At the preliminary stage, information is being obtained about the boat capsizing, and after a thorough investigation of how the incident took place, action will be taken against the responsible contractor.”

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel also reacted to the tragedy on X, offering his condolences to the deceased's family in this hour of sorrow.

For more such updates and news on the go, follow us on Instagram | YouTube | Facebook