MARCOS Officer Charge-Sheeted in Mumbai Ferry Collision That Killed 15
Colaba police have filed a charge-sheet nearly 21 months after the fatal Mumbai harbour collision that killed 15 people, bringing the first formal criminal case against the naval officer who was piloting the speedboat involved in the accident.
The accused, Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) special officer Karamveer Bahadur Singh Yadav, was operating an Indian Navy speedboat that struck the passenger ferry Neel Kamal near Butcher Island on 18 December 2024. The ferry was travelling from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island with about 100 passengers on board when it was hit at high speed roughly 40 minutes into the journey and capsized.
Fifteen people died in the collision, including Navy Chief Petty Officer Mahendra Singh Shekhawat. Yadav and representatives of the original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, on the speedboat survived the incident. Yadav suffered serious injuries, underwent prolonged medical treatment and returned to service last month.
The charge-sheet was filed before the Esplanade court after investigators received an OEM report that concluded the naval craft was technically sound. Police say the evidence points to human error, negligence and excessive speed rather than any mechanical failure. An earlier effort to submit the charge-sheet last month was not accepted because of questions raised by the court, following which additional documents were placed on record. The court has not yet taken cognisance of the papers.
Yadav has been booked under Sections 106(1), 125(a), 282 and 324 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. These provisions relate respectively to causing death by negligence, reckless or negligent acts endangering personal safety, rash or negligent navigation of a vessel, and mischief.
Investigators have also relied on a passenger video that has become part of the police case. The footage shows the Navy speedboat overtaking the ferry at high speed from the starboard side, making a U-turn and then colliding with the rear of the Neel Kamal. The impact triggered a major rescue operation involving the Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Police, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority vessels and private boats.
The accident has been examined separately by the Indian Navy and the Maharashtra Maritime Board. The Navy constituted a Board of Inquiry, while the Maritime Board also inspected the speedboat. Police said they have not yet received those reports and will file a supplementary charge-sheet once they do. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Navy statements had pointed to a possible throttle or steering malfunction during engine trials. The OEM examination, however, has now ruled out a technical defect, according to investigators.
The Neel Kamal was licensed to carry a limited number of passengers, and reports at the time said it was overloaded. The Maharashtra Maritime Board later cancelled the ferry’s licence and also carried out its own inquiry into the accident.
While the criminal case has now moved forward with the filing of the charge-sheet, the broader investigation continues with both Colaba police and the Navy still examining the circumstances of one of the deadliest accidents in Mumbai harbour in recent years.
