AHMEDABAD: The Vadodara Harani boat accident has once again put the Gujarat government under scrutiny. The Gujarat High Court has rejected the government's report on the incident, criticizing it for attempting to hide the “truth” in the veil of “words”.

On January 18, a boat carrying private school children capsized in Vadodara's Harni Lake, resulting in the deaths of 14 people, including 12 children.

During a hearing of PIL in the High Court on Wednesday, the Advocate General presented the state government's report on the Harani boat accident. However, the High Court firmly stated that the entire report read like a fictional story and warned that if the report was not withdrawn, the court would issue a strict order. In response to the High Court's strong stance, the Advocate General withdrew the inquiry report.

The High Court remarked that there seems to be an attempt to conceal the truth with vague language, emphasising that the responsible officer cannot evade accountability. The court found the report submitted by the Urban Development Department unsatisfactory.

At one point, the court indicated that it would issue an order after reviewing all the original records. It asserted that those in responsible positions would face consequences if they fail to perform their duties properly. The responsible officer cannot shirk their responsibilities.

The court clarified that it holds no personal bias against anyone and stressed the necessity of issuing orders that serve the public interest. The High Court has instructed a re-investigation into the entire incident.

The Advocate General emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring accountability in such tragedies.

He acknowledged in court that the responsibility lies with the Vadodara Municipal Commissioner. The Advocate General assured that the state government is prepared to initiate departmental inquiries against all those accountable. This includes taking action against responsible officials through departmental inquiries and disciplinary measures.

Following a thorough review of all records related to the incident, the court instructed the government to proceed with departmental and disciplinary actions and to submit the outcomes to the court.