Complaint filed against Panaji mayor for boat capsize

Panaji, June 27 (IANS) A police complaint was filed on Monday against Panaji’s Mayor Surendra Furtado for allegedly being responsible for the capsizing of a boat in St. Inez Creek here during the demonstration of a mechanical weeding operation.

Social activist Aires Rodrigues said in his complaint filed at Panaji police station that the accident occurred because of overloading putting human lives in danger.

"The incident happened when the weeding machine mounted on a vessel-turned-turtle on account of weight imbalance which occurred because Furtado and others — despite being warned not to do so — boarded the vessel," the complaint said.

The complaint has been lodged under sections 280, 287, 304 (a) and 511 of the Indian Penal Code.

Furtado had invited the media on Sunday to cover mechanical weeding of St. Inez creek here. The vessel overturned shortly after the mayor and other officials boarded it, throwing everyone onboard in water.

No one received any serious injury. Furtado said after the accident he was saved by "God’s grace."

The video of the boat capsizing and the drenched mayor being hauled out from under the vessel went viral on social media.