Nimatighat ferry accident: Ferry owner arrested in Dibrugarh

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JORHAT: Owner of the single-engine ferry which was involved in the collision off Nimatighat on September 8 – Paniram Kalita was arrested by police in Dibrugarh district on Monday. He was brought to Jorhat in connection with the case.

The criminal case (No 1933/2021) in this regard is registered in Jorhat Police Station.

Special DGP (Law & Order) GP Singh tweeted that Kalita was trying to get admitted in a private nursing home in Dibrugarh when he was arrested by the police. Meanwhile, his son Gautam Kalita, along with three others who were picked up from Majuli yesterday were produced in court today and sent to three days judicial remand. The total number of arrests in the case including that of Paniram Kalita is 12.

The four persons sent to remand today were Prasanta Paugam, one who controls direction of the boat, Badan Dutta, Engine driver , Bipul Bora, ticket collector of 'Ma Kamala' and Gautam Kalita, son of Paniram Kalita, owner of the boat.

On Sunday Jorhat police had arrested seven persons in connection with the boat accident at Nimatighat on September 8 .

A police source stated that the six people, who were picked up on Saturday evening, were staff of IWT posted at Nimatighat of the ill-fated boat Ma Kamala. One more employee of IWT Jorhat too was apprehended later and arrested on Sunday.

The arrested persons were: Jogen Das, Biju Kumar Das, Jayanta Dutta, Binod Baruah Babul Neog and Dhanbar Das and Pradip Borbora.

All have been booked under Section 304 IPC in the Jorhat Police Station case number 1933/2021, which was registered as per Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma's directive who during his visit on September 9 to Nimatighat had announced lodging of criminal case regarding the mishap.

In the ferry disaster an IWT twin engine passenger ferry Tipkai from Kamalabari ghat in Majuli collided with the Ma Kamala ferry going from Nimatighat here to Majuli and capsized. Passengers either swam to safety or were rescued by local boatmen at Nimatighat. Two persons died while an ENT surgeon, Dr Bikramjit Baruah who was travelling to his place of posting in Majuli from here is yet to be traced.

Also Read: Ro-Pax Ferry Service Begun Between Nimati Ghat and Majuli in Assam

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