Desh-Shakti

The owners of the "Desh Shakti" have got clearance from the High Court of Kerala to release the vessel. Upoin clearance to sail, the ship headed to Fujairah on Sep 20 and moored on the port's anchorage on Sep 25.

By Sep 9 the "Desh Shakti" was still under detention at Mangalore Port and moored off the port in pos. 12° 57.67' N 074° 40.68' E, waiting clearance from the Kerala High Court, under whose jurisdiction the case of the collision with the f/v "Oceana" being heard. After the incident, a suit was filed by the fishermen and the court had ordered Fortkochi Coastal Police to investigate the matter. The evidence collected by the Fort Kochi Coastal Police was presented to the court and being reviewed.

With its preliminary investigation confirming the "Desh Shakti"’s involvement in the hit and run of the fishing boat "Oceanic", the Coastal police have taken the captain and two crew members of the tanker into custody. Captain B.S. Ahluwalia of New Delhi, second officer Nandakishore Gaaru of Rajasthan and seaman Rajkumar of Bihar, who were in command of the ship at the time of collision, will be subjected to a thorough interrogation. Upon examining the location map and navigational records of the ship, the ship’s presence at the spot where the collision took place on August 7 oould be confirmed. The seamen will be brought to Kochi in the night of Aug 14. The investigation team, during an underwater survey at the bottom of the ship, found scratches on its hull, besides paint samples of the sunken fishing vessel. These evidences prima facie established the involvement of the tanker in the accident. Marine Enforcement Wing officials are examining reports of a body being spotted by a fishing boat off the Alappuzha coast on Aug 14.