Two officials arrested in connection with the Thekkady boat tragedy that claimed 45 lives on September 30 were on Thursday remanded to judicial custody by a court in Idukki district.
N. A. Giri, the Technical Director of Chennai-based company that built ‘Jalakanyaka’ boat operated by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation and K. K. Sanjeev, a surveyor of the Indian Register of Shipping, were produced before Peerumedu Magistrate Court which remanded them to judicial custody till October 28.
The arrests were made on the basis of findings of the police and forensic probes that the tragedy could have been averted had some structural flaws of the ill-fated vessel been detected before it was put to use at the tourist centre.
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Investigations had also revealed that proper tests were not conducted and normal procedures were not followed before giving it water worthy certificate.
Earlier, the driver of the boat, a sub-crew, chief inspector of boats and a forest watcher were arrested and remanded. All of them had been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.