Tanur Boat Tragedy: Kerala HC initiates suo moto case

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday initiated suo moto proceedings into the Tanur Boat incident that occurred on Monday in Malappuram’s Tanur and claimed the lives of at least 22 people which also included several children.

A division bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Shoba Annamma Eapen concluded that the tragic incident would not have occurred if the responsible authorities had done their jobs and ensured that tourist boats, such as the one involved in the Tanur accident, met safety standards. It also stated that, while the government acted quickly in announcing that ten lakh would be granted as compensation to the victims’ families, the authorities had much to answer for.

The bench highlighted the repeated occurrence of such incidents over the years, and the resultant misplaced placidity among authorities and the people.
Finally, the Court directed the registry to register the suo moto petition in public interest, subject to the acting Chief Justice’s approval.

The registry was also directed to add several government officials to the case as parties. “The final loss is to the citizens because instances like this are erased from memory soon. Judicial intervention, therefore, in our firm view, now becomes necessary, lest the unfortunate loss of lives are forgotten. We direct the Registry to register a suo motu petition in public interest, after obtaining necessary orders from the acting Chief Justice, to be titled ‘In re: boat tragedy’,” the Court ordered.