Cyclone Tauktae: Captain Of P305 Barge That Sank Booked For Negligence

A case has been filed against the P305 barge captain that went adrift in the Arabian Sea as the cyclone Tauktae made landfall in Mumbai. The case that has been filed by Mumbai Police holds the captain accountable for the incident.

The incident has claimed the lives of 51 people working onboard the vessel while several others are still missing. As per the complaint received by the barge chief engineer Rahman Shaikh, the police has registered a case against the captain.

As per filings, a case has been registered under section 304 (II) which is an act done with the knowledge that can cause death. In addition to this, the captain has been booked under 2 other sections as well which includes “an act endangering life” and an act of “common intention” of the Indian Penal Code.

P305 barge — Image Credits: @indiannavy – Twitter

Speaking about the case, Joint Commissioner of Police, Vishwas Nangre Patil has revealed that the chief engineer has alleged that the captain didn’t pay heed to the alert issued by the meteorological department and move the barge to safety.

Afcons Infrastructure, the company that charters the barge has also reiterated the same when they revealed that the captain stayed along with the crew despite being notified to return to Mumbai Harbour.

The navy and the coast guard has so far rescued 188 people from the barge and 2 other tugboats. 51 bodies have been found and the search is still on for the missing. Friday marks the 5th day of the search operations which is likely to continue for another 2 days.

Reference: hindustantimes.com