Harni Lake Boat tragedy : Main Accused Paresh Shah arrested by Vadodara police

Vadodara : The major suspect in the Harni Lake boat capsize incident, which killed 14 people (including 12 students), Paresh Shah, owner of Kotia Projects, has been arrested by the Vadodara police. While allegedly on his way to see a lawyer, Shah—who had been evading capture since the sad incident—was apprehended on the Halol-Vadodara road.

A horrific boat accident in Vadodara’s Harni Lake killed 12 New Sunrise School kids and 2 instructors. The search for Shah, who the Vadodara police said had rented the contract for the tragic boat excursion to Nilesh Shah’s Fun Arena, had ramped up.

Video footage shows Paresh Shah, who was allegedly talking on the phone when the tragedy occurred, frantically running away from the Harni Lake, according to the police. He was named as the primary suspect in the boat capsize-related First Information Report (FIR) by the Vadodara police on Saturday.

Some have speculated that a saint from Vadodara mediated Paresh Shah’s surrender, which led to his incarceration. Since Paresh Shah is the brother of another culprit, Gopal Shah, who was also detained the day before, this new information adds another dimension to the tragedy’s evolving tale.

In connection with the boat capsize event, nine individuals have been apprehended by the police: Paresh Shah, Binita Kotia, Nayan Gohil, Bhim Singh Yadav, Shantilal Solanki, Ankit Vasava, Veda Prakash Yadav, Rashmikant Prajapati, and Gopal Shah.

Paresh Shah reportedly rented the amusement park contract to Nilesh Shah of Fun Time Arena, and Kotia Projects carried it out near Harni Lake as part of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The boating contract was subsequently rented by Nilesh Shah to another company.

There are concerns about Paresh Shah’s behaviour at the crucial moments when rescue efforts were necessary, as seen in the video footage of his hurried departure from the accident scene. According to reports, Shah was at the site of the accident right away, but he made no overt efforts to help or rescue the victims.

The current inquiry has listed Paresh Shah as an accused party, and three members of his family are also believed to be involved as contract partners. For the bereaved families impacted by the tragedy, the arrest should offer some measure of justice and shed light on what led to the boat capsize.