Days after the ill-fated barge Papaa (P-305) sank 70 km of the Mumbai coast due to cyclone Tauktae, the Mumbai police on Friday registered an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the barge captain Rakesh Ballav and others.
The tragedy has so far claimed the lives of 49 crew members of the barge whose bodies have been recovered by the Indian Navy which is carrying out a search and rescue operation in the sea while 26 crew members are still missing.
The office has been registered on the complaint of chief engineer Rehman Shaikh, 48 who earlier alleged that he had informed the caption about the cyclone warnings but he didn't pay any heeds. Shaikh is currently recuperating at Apollo hospital in Tardeo, Shaikh was rescued by the Indian Navy after he along with others jumped into the sea after the barge started sinking.
The First Information Report has been registered at the Yellow Gate police station under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 304(2) (culpable homicide nor amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and common intention (34) against the barge captain and other said Mumbai police.
