Eight Vrindavan boat tragedy victims cremated; toll rises to 11

A pall of gloom descended over the Malwa belt as victims of the Vrindavan boat tragedy were cremated on Saturday. A boat carrying pilgrims, primarily from Punjab, had capsized in Yamuna on Friday afternoon. With the recovery of an Abohar youth’s body this morning, the toll has risen to 11.

The bodies of five of the 11 victims from Punjab were consigned to flames at the Agwar Crematorium on Dalla Road in the presence of their kin and thousands of mourners from across the state. Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann visited the crematorium and met the aggrieved families.

“I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families, relatives and friends of the victims. I pray to the Almighty to grant eternal peace to the departed souls and give strength to the families to bear this irreparable loss. The Punjab Government stands firmly with them in this hour of crisis,” he said, maintaining that he was constantly in touch with the Uttar Pradesh Government to ensure support and assistance for the rescue operations.

The CM underscored that the state government had already dispatched teams of divers to assist in the rescue efforts. Stressing on the need for accountability and preventive measures, Mann said he had taken up the matter with the UP CM Aditya Yoginath to strengthen safeguards to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Responding to a question by media persons, Mann said an appropriate memorial would be established in consultation with the aggrieved families, so that memories of the deceased could be kept alive.

The victims’ kin had made preparations for the funerals at their respective hometowns early on Saturday morning. The bodies were transported from Vrindavan in ambulances arranged by the UP Government and escorted by senior functionaries of the Mathura district administration.

The bodies of Kavita Behal, Charanjit, Madhur Behal , Pinky Behal and Ishan Kataria were cremated at Jagraon.

The pilgrimage to Vrindavan had begun from Jagraon on Thursday. Local MLA Saravjit Kaur Manuke said it was a “black day” for Jagraon. The markets also remained closed on Saturday as a mark of respect for the victims who hailed from Ludhiana, Moga, Jalabad and Bhiwani in Haryana, besides Jagraon.

Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian, legislators Ashok Parashar Pappi, Hakam Singh Thekedar, Madan Lal Bagga, SGPC member Gurcharan Singh Grewal, Ludhiana Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring’s wife Amrita Warring were among the others who visited Jagraon to pay their condolences.

Meanwhile, arrangements for the funeral for Rakesh Gulati, his wife Anju Gulati and Meenu Bansal were made in Dugri Phase 2 in Ludhiana.

Dugri residents recalled that Rakesh and Anju would frequently visit Vrindavan as both their children were settled in other states. Nikhil Bansal, whose mother and sister had also been on the boat, revealed that while his mother’s body had been recovered, searches were still on for his sister.

Moga: Another victim, Sapna Hans, hails from Moga. A sombre atmosphere prevailed at the Guru Ramdas Nagar locality. The family had travelled to the holy city to celebrate Sapna and her husband Anil Hans’s wedding anniversary, which fell on April 8.

Abohar: The body of another victim, Manik, was retrieved from the river early this morning. The deceased youth’s marriage had been fixed for September. The news of his demise sent a wave of grief in the Nai Abadi area of Abohar. He worked as a salesman for a steel manufacturing company.