Vadodara :The Vadodara police, in their ongoing investigation into the tragic capsize at Harni Lake that claimed the lives of 12 schoolchildren and two teachers on January 18, have added two more individuals to the FIR. Nilesh Jain, the owner of a sub-contracted firm, and Paresh Shah have been named in the case, bringing the total number of accused to 18.
Paresh Shah, associated with Kotia Projects, a firm awarded the contract for developing and operating the leisure facility at Harni Lake in 2016, is implicated in the tragedy. Although Paresh himself lacked a formal connection with Kotia Projects, his family members, including his wife Nutan, son, and daughter Vaishakhi, were partners in the company. The contract for operating the boating facility at the lake was subsequently sub-contracted to Dolphin Entertainment and Amusement Park Pvt Ltd by Kotia Projects.
Despite the absence of Paresh Shah and Nilesh Jain’s names in the initial contract records, their involvement was confirmed during the questioning of six individuals arrested on Friday. Sources revealed that Paresh Shah was present at the lake shortly after the incident but subsequently went underground. Notably, his association with a senior functionary of the BJP city unit has drawn attention.
Police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut stated that the accused’s statements, along with phone records, indicated Paresh and Jain’s participation in overseeing the boating facility’s operations and handling the money collected. The police are scrutinizing contracts and other documents to determine if Kotia Projects had the authority to engage other operators for the facility.
In an effort to prevent the accused from fleeing, the police have issued a lookout circular to airports. Investigators have obtained relevant documents from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), and officials at the civic body have been instructed to secure remaining records. The probe is ongoing, delving into the details of contracts and related paperwork to establish the extent of Kotia Projects’ permissions in engaging additional operators for the facility.
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