3-member panel to probe boat mishap, company’s licence suspended

MUMBAI: The state government on Saturday suspended the licence of Ajanta Catamarans, the company whose passenger boat endangered the lives of 130 passengers on Friday evening. A three-member inquiry committee has been constituted by the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) to investigate the mishap that occurred mid-sea on Friday evening, when water began seeping into the boat en route to Mandwa. The committee will submit its report to the state government within three days.

On Friday at 5.30 pm, the Ajanta Catamarans boat departed from the Gateway of India, carrying around 130 passengers. As it was nearing Mandwa, water began entering the boat, leading to panic among passengers. The boat crew sent out an SOS to Mandwa Jetty, requesting immediate assistance. Boats present in the sea near the jetty responded promptly and transferred the passengers from the boat to other vessels, bringing them safely to shore.

According to a statement issued by the District Information Officer (DIO) of Raigad, the boat’s passenger transport license, registration certificate, and survey certificate were immediately suspended. Following directives from minister of fisheries and ports Nitesh Rane, the company’s passenger operations have been halted until further notice. The DIO also confirmed that the mishap posed a serious threat to passenger safety despite the successful rescue operation.

Following the minister’s directive, Pradeep Badiye, senior administrative officer of the MMB, announced the formation of a three-member committee chaired by chief surveyor and marine engineer Prakash Chavan. The other two members are C J Lepande, regional port officer from Bandra, and commandant Santosh Nair, maritime security officer. The committee will investigate the incident thoroughly and submit a comprehensive report, including causes and recommendations, to the CEO of MMB within three days.

Following the incident, Rane convened a high-level meeting to review the matter. Emphasising that negligence which put lives at risk would not be tolerated, he directed officials to initiate strict action against those responsible. He further called for the creation of clear and stringent operational and technical guidelines to avoid such incidents in the future.

In another incident, last year, a speedboat that was being tried by the Indian Navy off Butcher Island, rammed into a boat carrying passengers from Elephanta Island. Fifteen persons were killed in the accident.