It's official. The boat that capsized in Kerala's Thekaddy Lake on the 30th of September should never have been allowed into the water.
Officers of the crime branch say 'Jalakanyaka' had glaring technical defects. The one-month-old boat flipped over, possibly because it had a 2.9 degree tilt to the right. That's the side that plunged into the water, killing 45 tourists sight-seeing the Periyar wildlife sanctuary. Material used to make the boat has also been declared of poor quality.
The chief inspector of boats has been arrested for certifying the boat was fit for operation. But the manufacturer of the boat , a private company in Chennai, has not been blamed. Officials say they are looking into which officer in the tourism department finalized the purchase of the boat from this company.
The inquiry has already revealed that the boat driver was inexperienced. But the ticket-issuer, who is also responsible for ensuring tourists wear life-jackets, has not been penalized.