Mumbai, 20 September 2026 — Nearly 21 months after one of the deadliest accidents in Mumbai harbour, Colaba police have filed a charge-sheet against a Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) special officer in connection with a collision that killed 15 people.
The accused, Karamveer Bahadur Singh Yadav, was piloting an Indian Navy speedboat that rammed the passenger ferry Neel Kamal near Butcher Island on 18 December 2024. The ferry, en route from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island with approximately 100 passengers, capsized after being struck at high speed about 40 minutes into its journey.
Among the dead was Navy Chief Petty Officer Mahendra Singh Shekhawat. Yadav and representatives of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) on the speedboat survived. Yadav sustained serious injuries, underwent prolonged medical treatment, and resumed service last month.
The charge-sheet was submitted to the Esplanade court after investigators received an OEM report concluding that the naval craft was technically sound. Police say the findings point to human error, negligence, and speeding rather than mechanical failure. An earlier attempt to file the charge-sheet last month was not accepted because of court queries; additional documents have since been submitted. The court has not yet taken cognisance of the papers.
Yadav has been named under Sections 106(1) (causing death by negligence), 125(a) (reckless or negligent acts endangering personal safety), 282 (rash or negligent navigation of a vessel), and 324 (mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
A passenger video, now part of the police case, shows the Navy speedboat overtaking the ferry at high speed from the starboard side, executing a U-turn, and then colliding with the rear of the Neel Kamal. A large-scale rescue involving Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Police, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority vessels, and private boats followed.
The Indian Navy constituted a Board of Inquiry, and the Maharashtra Maritime Board also examined the speedboat. Police have not yet received those reports and intend to file a supplementary charge-sheet once they arrive. Initial Navy statements after the accident had referred to a possible throttle or steering malfunction during engine trials. The OEM examination has now ruled out technical defect, according to investigators.
The Neel Kamal was licensed to carry a limited number of passengers; reports at the time indicated it was overloaded. The Maharashtra Maritime Board later cancelled the ferry’s licence and conducted its own inquiry.
The case remains under investigation by both Colaba police and the Navy. The charge-sheet represents the first formal criminal proceedings against the officer who was at the helm.
