Thekkady boat tragedy: 16 yrs on, victims’ kin await justice

Idukki: Justice delayed is justice denied, they say, and the plight of the families of the 45 victims of the Thekkady boat tragedy is a case in point as they have been waiting for the past 16 years. The trial proceedings began in Dec 2024 at the fourth additional sessions court in Thodupuzha and a few witnesses were examined back then but the proceedings have lagged since then owing to more reasons than one. KTDC's tourist boat Jalakanyaka sank near Manakkavala in Thekkady Lake inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve on Sept 30, 2009. The victims included 23 women and seven children.The case has 309 witnesses under two chargesheets — A and B. So far, 84 witnesses have been examined and 81 documents submitted before the court. Several witnesses are from north Indian states, adding to the logistical difficulties in completing the trial. Some witnesses died over the years while others have been unable to appear in court due to age-related illnesses. The court has initiated measures to record the statements of those unable to attend in person through video conferencing.State crime branch launched an investigation, led by Kottayam SP P A Valsan. Its probe concluded that the accident was caused by overloading of passengers on a technically defective boat and negligent handling of the vessel. Special public prosecutor E A Rahim said that the investigation also found that KTDC supervisors, drivers and helpers routinely accepted money to allow excess passengers on board and shared the additional income among themselves, allegedly with the tacit approval of senior officials.The govt also appointed a judicial commission headed by retired district judge Maideen Kunju. The commission submitted its report to former chief minister Oommen Chandy on Aug 25, 2011.During the hearing, six survivors from Tamil Nadu, New Delhi and Haryana told the court that Jalakanyaka was not constructed in a manner suitable for safe water transport. Additional seats were allegedly fixed to accommodate more tourists. They also told the court that passengers were not provided with life jackets or other safety equipment and that the boat driver lacked the required practical experience and qualifications.