Kochi Mayor gheraoed for over 10 hours by Left councillors

Demanding judicial probe into the Fort Kochi boat tragedy that claimed 11 lives, opposition councillors led by CPI (M), today gheraoed the city Mayor Tony Chammani in his chambers here for more than ten hours.
Dramatic scenes were witnessed as the agitating LDF councillors extended their protest to the Congress Mayor's chamber as he chaired a special meeting of the council in the morning to discuss the Smart City project sanctioned to Kochi.
The Mayor finally emerged from his chambers around 9.30 pm after police intervened and removed the protesting councillors, police said.
Earlier, the agitating members said the Mayor would not be allowed to leave the chamber until the state government ordered a judicial investigation into the tragedy.

They also demanded adequate compensation to the families of the victims.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy deputed PWD Minister V K Ibrahim Kunju to discuss the matter with the agitators.

Opposition councillors have been staging a dharna in front of the corporation office here for the past five days pressing for a judicial probe, saying it was necessary to bring out the facts regarding the alleged involvement of some political leaders in the operation of the ill fated boat.
Meanwhile, the Mayor slammed opposition, saying the CPI-M led LDF was playing politics over the tragedy.
Chammani said the Corporation, in its recent meeting, had passed a resolution demanding judicial probe into the tragedy and the matter was being examined by the government.

On September 4, Kerala government had ordered a comprehensive probe into boat tragedy by ADGP (South Zone) K Padmakumar.
The passenger boat, carrying about 35 people, was on its way from Vypin to Fort Kochi when it was hit by a speeding fishing craft at the harbour mouth on August 26.