The Government of the state of Madhya Pradesh in India has formed a judicial commission that has been tasked with investigating a deadly maritime accident that occurred in the state's Jabalpur district earlier this year.
Retired High Court Judge Sanjay Dwivedi (pictured) will chair the panel that will deliver a report containing its findings on the April 30, 2026 incident in Jabalpur.
On the said date, a vessel operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department capsized near the Bargi Dam. Twenty-eight people among those who were on the vessel were rescued while the remaining 13, which included women and small children, are confirmed dead.
Local media said that a judicial inquiry will be undertaken in place of a standard departmental probe in order to guarantee greater transparency.
The commission will investigate the probable causes of the capsizing as well as the effectiveness of the subsequent search and rescue effort to identify whether there were any safety lapses and, if so, which parties should be held responsible.
It is expected that the inquiry will also lead to the crafting of updated regulations covering operation and maintenance of tourism vessels in the state.
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