Chilika boat capsize: Owner arrested

Bhubaneswar: A day after a country boat was capsized in Odisha’s Chilika lake leaving six killed including a minor girl, the owner of the ill-fated boat has been arrested this evening.

The Balugaon police arrested boat owner Basanta Behera, who was on the run since yesterday evening when the mishap took place.

The boat owner is likely to grilled over whether he has renewed his license, fitness certificate, kept other safety equipment like life jackets in the boats which are mandatory under the Odisha Boat Rules.

The tragedy raised issues about safety measures in place for tourists visiting Chilika where similar mishaps have taken place in the past.

The boat capsized on Saturday evening after it was caught in a thunderstorm, accompanied by strong wind and rains. Twelve others were rescued and admitted to a hospital.

While bodies of two persons including a minor girl were recovered on Saturday, four more bodies were retrieved on Sunday.

Expressing deep grief over the incident, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 4 lakh for the kin of deceased and free medical treatment for all the injured persons.