Rajya Sabha member from Goa Shantaram Naik has written a letter to union defense minister A K Anthony calling for the immediate suspension from service of the captain of the vessel ‘ICGS Vaibhav’ belonging to Indian Coast Guard, which collided with a fishing trawler and killed Goan fishermen and many went missing. Naik has also asked for the captain’s arrest.
Last week, in the early hours of the morning a vessel belonging to the Indian Coast Guard collided with a fishing trawler off the Goa coast. There were 29 fishermen on the trawler, out of which 23 were rescued, one died and five fishermen are missing. Indian Navy, Coast Guard and other agencies are engaged in the search operations.
Naik said that Martin Fernandes, owner of the fishing trawler Sea Messah, is justified in demanding the arrest of the captain for causing loss of lives and confiscation of the vessel. Five out of the six fishermen, who drowned in the sea, are still missing.
“”Although Coast Guard is holding a departmental inquiry, the captain should have been put under immediate suspension considering the negligent conduct of the captain and his act of fleeing from the scene of offence,”” Naik said.
The Cuncolim Police Station incharge has booked the navigator under section 280 of the IPC for rash and negligent navigation endangering human lives; 427 for causing damage to the fishing vessel; 337 for rash and negligent act causing injuries and section 304 of the IPC for rash and negligent act causing death.
The 90-metre class offshore patrol vessel, built by Goa Shipyard Ltd, was handed over to the Coast Guard on March 31, ahead of its commissioning, which was scheduled was to take place in presence of union defence minister A.K. Anthony.
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