Berhampur, Dec. 12: Rambha police today arrested Dutia Mallick, the owner and driver of the boat that capsized in the Chilika lake on December 10 resulting in deaths of four persons.

Mallick was admitted to the medicine ward of MKCG hospital in the city after the mishap and discharged from the hospital today. Doctors said Mallick swallowed excess water when the boat capsized.

“We took Mallick in custody after he was discharged from the hospital,” said Rambha police station inspector in charge Prasant Kumar Das. The cops interrogated him as well.

The police said Mallick was not a trained boatman and drunk when the tragedy took place.

Chilika Development Authority director Krishna Mohan, who visited the mishap spot along with assistant engineer Dilip Kumar Nayak, said there was 12-feet-deep water. “The boat had many small holes on its body. It capsized due to overloading and its bad condition. It was meant for two persons and for only fishing purposes,” said Mohan.

Local people said there were 5,000 fishing boats in the Chilika, out of which around 2,000 were made of wood and in bad condition. The state government had decided to replace all the wooden boats with fibre ones after Phailin. But, the decision is yet to be implemented.

Assistant district fisheries officer Khetrabasi Behera said that about 500 fishing boats were operating in Rambha and Sabulia. “But most of them are yet to renew their fishing licences.”

The Chilika Fishermen Association vice-president Bhimsen Behera demanded to know why the government had failed to stop the boat from operating without licence renewal.

Youth held

Police today arrested a 24-year-old youth in Kendrapara district for posting obscene photos on the Facebook account of a 27-year-old woman.

The accused, Anil Rout of Dhumata village in Nikirei police limits, had befriended the woman on Facebook and begun sending amorous messages and obscene photos. After failing to dissuade him, the woman today filed an FIR against the accused.

The police said the youth was obsessed with the woman. He got annoyed after the woman unfriended him. On this, the youth started sending abusive, obscene and objectionable messages and pictures.

On receiving the complaint, the police laid a trap. The cops asked the woman to invite the accused to her house. Rout was arrested when he turned up at the victim’s house.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MANOJ KAR IN KENDRAPARA