Two days after a fatal boat mishap had claimed 22 lives in this north Kerala district, murder charge has been slapped against the owner of the vessel who was caught from nearby Kozhikode, police said here on Tuesday.

Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das S, who is heading a special investigation team constituted to probe the incident, said the arrest of the accused was recorded and he would be produced before a local court within 24 hours.

The owner was facing charges of operating the vessel without a licence. Talking to reporters here, Das said IPC Section 302 has been slapped against the boat owner and the investigation is progressing considering it as a murder case.

"So, we will submit a report in the court as an offence under IPC 302," the officer said.

He said the police are yet to confirm the total number of staff, who were present in the boat when tragedy struck the vessel.

"Its driver, Dineshan, is absconding. We are trying to get more details about the other employees from the owner. Their arrest will be made in the coming days," the DCP added.

The boat owner was cooperating with the investigation completely, he said. Rejecting the criticism against the police from some quarters in connection with the mishap, Das said the operation of such boats come under the Port Department as per the Kerala Inland Vessels Act.

Seeking to examine the damaged boat, assistance of an expert team from Cochin University would be sought and a request would be given in this regard soon, the officer added.

Earlier in the day, sate police chief Anil Kant issued an order constituting a special team to investigate into the mishap which had claimed 22 lives in Tanur area of Malappuram district on Sunday evening. Sujith Das S would head the team, in which Tanur DYSP V V Benny, Tanur station house officer Jeevan George and Kondotty ASP Vijay Bharat Reddy would be the members, an official statement said.

The probe would be held under the direct supervision of Neeraj Kumar Gupta, IG, North Zone, it said.

The DGP directed to complete the probe and submit the report at the earliest, the statement added.

While announcing a judicial probe into the tragedy on Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also said that a special investigation team of the Kerala police would also probe the matter.

The boat capsized near an estuary close to the Thoovaltheeram beach in Tanur area at 7.30 pm on Sunday.

According to district officials, 15 of the deceased were minors aged eight months to 17 years and there were 37 persons onboard the ill-fated boat.

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