A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday asked a petitioner, who moved for taking action against the officials who issued fitness certificate to the passenger boat that was involved in the accident at Fort Kochi, to approach the government.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A.M. Shaffique while closing a public interest writ petition observed that since there was no material available before the court to verify under what circumstances the fitness certificate was issued, it might not be possible to take a decision on the aspect. The petitioner had to approach the authorities concerned with his plea.
Plea for action
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The petition sought a directive to prosecute the officials of the authority which gave fitness certificate, in connection with the tragedy. The petitioner said that the boat involved in the accident had been operating the service for 36 years. If the authorities had assessed the condition and safety of the boat, intensity of the tragedy could have been minimised. There was a total negligence on the part of the authorities, the petitioner alleged.