Surprise birthday party ends in Five funerals

Mumbai Mirror

Resort owner’s boat, full of his friends from the city who were going to celebrate a birthday, tipped over on Tuesday. Police have booked the owner, Nirmal Jain, for culpable homicide.

Mumbai, 31 Mar 2017: After five of a resort owner’s friends from the city drowned when the boat ferrying his 24 guests tipped over in a lake in Dadra and Nagar Haveli on Tuesday, the police have booked him for culpable homicide and negligence. A team of forensic investigators is looking into the matter to see what went wrong.

 

It was the first time that the revamped boat, which the owner Nirmal Jain had bought secondhand and gotten refitted recently, was out in the water, at Lake Dhundhi near the union territory’s capital Silvassa. The vessel was full of his friends who were on their way to his resort in Khandvel to ring in the birthday of a friend who had no idea a party had been planned for him.

 

The invitees to the surprise party — all acquaintances from Mumbai — had driven drove up to the lake in their own cars to set off for Khandvel, which is across the lake. But 50 metres into the water, the boat keeled over. Jain was aboard at the time and swam to safety.

 

According to the survivors, the boat could seat around 25 people. But on Tuesday evening, there were close to 30 people aboard including the crew. When the first of the guests began stepping on to the vessel, it shook wildly, and many were hesitant to board it. Once they were persuaded they’d be safe, the vessel started its journey. It capsized within two minutes of leaving the shore.

 

While most were rescued or managed to get themselves ashore, five died gasping for breath. Their families back in Mumbai are still grappling with what went down on the star-crossed boat.

Bereaved families

Among them is Nepean Sea Road resident Sanghvi Shah, wife of Vipin Shah, a 60-year old chartered accountant. The pair was invited to the two-day trip and was on the lower deck of the boat. Sanghvi was seated portside.

 

“I was sitting on the left, where there were windows. My husband was on the other side. When the boat flipped, I got thrown out,” Sanghvi said. “I held on to the rail and had no idea where my husband was. Some fishermen nearby approached us. They got me out but could only pull out my husband’s body.”

 

Their son, Chirag, said, “My parents used to go on these trips often on weekends. But this was a special occasion.”

 

Neela Shah, 65, was travelling with her sister Pallavi and brotherin-law Mukesh Shah. They said the boat was wobbly from the moment they got on it. “One of the couples that was seated on the lower deck was very uneasy with the way the boat was swaying. The two wanted to get off the boat and were waiting near the door to be helped out. But the boat started suddenly,” said Neela.

 

It covered about 50 metres before it tilted over. Neela and her brother-in law, on the upper deck, got tossed out, while Pallavi on the lower deck was trapped inside. She died there.

 

Ketan Shah and his wife, Panna, were also separated on the two decks, with Panna on the lower one. “It all happened too quickly. No sooner did the boat leave than it flipped on its side. My wife was on the lower deck but I do not know which side of the boat she was seated.”

 

Panna’s body was fished out about two hours after the incident.

 

For 55-year old Veena Bhola from Mahalaxmi, her first trip without her husband proved to be her last. Her family said she didn’t know how to not swim, was scared of water, and was reluctant to go to begin with.

 

When she was pulled out of the boat, she was still breathing. It was at teh hospital that she died.

 

Her nephew Rajeev Bhola said: “My aunt did not want to go for the function. The family is on a fast for Navratri, and that’s why my uncle didn’t go with her. We don’t know what exactly happened at the lake.”

 

The fifth person who didn’t survive the incident is Sunita Kothari. Her son Manish said that Sunita was not very keen on going to the party either.

 

The sunken boat was recovered from the lake on Thursday evening.

 

Khandvel police have booked boat owner Nirmal Jain under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 280 (rash navigation of vessel), 282 (conveying persons by water for hire in unsafe or overloaded vessel) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.

 

Investigating officer Jignesh Patel said, “We are investigating the case to ascertain if the boat was packed beyond its capacity, and if there was any technical glitch as the vessel capsized some metres from the shore.”