Police in the city of Mumbai in India have formally charged the operator of an Indian Navy speedboat that was involved in a collision that left 15 people dead nearly two years prior, local media reported recently.
Karamveer Bahadur Singh Yadav, a member of the navy's Marine Commandos special operations force, was at the helm of a speedboat conducting engine trials in Mumbai Harbour when it collided with the ferry Neel Kamal on December 18, 2024.
The ferry, which was carrying more than 100 passengers, capsized due to the force of the impact. Fifteen people, including ferry passengers and some crewmembers on the speedboat, were killed.
Yadav also suffered injuries from the incident. Local media said he returned to service only last month following prolonged treatment.
The navy had said in a statement in the weeks following the incident that the speedboat's crew lost control due to an engine malfunction, thus causing it to crash into the ferry.
However, investigators have since discovered that the craft had no technical defects at the time the collision occurred.
Police have also included video footage allegedly taken by one of the ferry's passengers as evidence. The footage showed the speedboat overtaking the ferry from starboard, executing a U-turn and hitting the ferry's stern, causing the latter vessel to capsize.
The charges against Yadav were recently filed before a local court. These include negligence resulting in death, endangering other people's safety, and navigating a vessel at excessive speed.