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Was captured dhow crew planning 26/11 style attack on Kerala?
Nov 25, 2011
KOCHI: Was the Pakistani-Iranian crew of an Iranian dhow captured by the Indian Navy on December 3 last year near Lakshadweep planning a Mumbai-model terror attack somewhere along the Kerala coast?
Citing serious discrepancies in the existing police dossier on the incident and in the statements of the sailors, the office of the additional solicitor general (ASG) here has sought an investigation by National Investigation Agency (NIA). The ASG office's intervened when a petition against the detention of the crew, currently held in a central prison in Kerala, came up at the high court.
On being apprehended by the navy's INS Rajput 180 nautical miles from Bitra Island in Lakshadweep, the crew of the dhow, Al Javaidi, consisting of 17 Pakistanis and four Iranians, told the navy that they were engaged in fishing and had deviated to Indian waters fearing pirates.
The dhow didn't have the mandatory Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder or any radar, which enables authorities to track fishing vessels. AIS was made mandatory in July 2009 after the Mumbai terror attacks, in which a hijacked fishing vessel was used by Pakistani terrorists to reach the metropolis.
The navy team that inspected the dhow also found that the vessel had 36,000 litres of fuel and ration, which is enough to remain at sea for two months. Though the crew claimed not to have docked at any port since departing from Jabr in Iran, majority of the ration was found to be made in Pakistan, including a matchbox made in Mirpur in Pak-occupied Kashmir Suspicion about the crew increased as one Iranian crew was fluent in Hindi, with an accent prevalent in Kashmir.
The first information report filed by Kavaratti sub inspector RM Ali Akbar on December 5th stated that no fish was found in the dhow. This despite the dhow departing from Iran on November 25, and having been at sea till it was apprehended. This report was forwarded by the superintendent of police of Kavaratti Island to the commanding officer of INS Rajput. However, a property seizure memo filled up by the same sub inspector, with the same date, stated that 250 kilogrammes of fish was found in the dhow.
There were also discrepancies in what the crew told the authorities. The dhow's skipper told the navy that the strength of the crew was 21 but it was later amended to 17. Of these 17, one Iranian and seven Pakistanis were not in possession of any identity cards.
The ASG's office has sought an NIA investigation into these unanswered questions.
Nov 25, 2011
KOCHI: Was the Pakistani-Iranian crew of an Iranian dhow captured by the Indian Navy on December 3 last year near Lakshadweep planning a Mumbai-model terror attack somewhere along the Kerala coast?
Citing serious discrepancies in the existing police dossier on the incident and in the statements of the sailors, the office of the additional solicitor general (ASG) here has sought an investigation by National Investigation Agency (NIA). The ASG office's intervened when a petition against the detention of the crew, currently held in a central prison in Kerala, came up at the high court.
On being apprehended by the navy's INS Rajput 180 nautical miles from Bitra Island in Lakshadweep, the crew of the dhow, Al Javaidi, consisting of 17 Pakistanis and four Iranians, told the navy that they were engaged in fishing and had deviated to Indian waters fearing pirates.
The dhow didn't have the mandatory Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder or any radar, which enables authorities to track fishing vessels. AIS was made mandatory in July 2009 after the Mumbai terror attacks, in which a hijacked fishing vessel was used by Pakistani terrorists to reach the metropolis.
The navy team that inspected the dhow also found that the vessel had 36,000 litres of fuel and ration, which is enough to remain at sea for two months. Though the crew claimed not to have docked at any port since departing from Jabr in Iran, majority of the ration was found to be made in Pakistan, including a matchbox made in Mirpur in Pak-occupied Kashmir Suspicion about the crew increased as one Iranian crew was fluent in Hindi, with an accent prevalent in Kashmir.
The first information report filed by Kavaratti sub inspector RM Ali Akbar on December 5th stated that no fish was found in the dhow. This despite the dhow departing from Iran on November 25, and having been at sea till it was apprehended. This report was forwarded by the superintendent of police of Kavaratti Island to the commanding officer of INS Rajput. However, a property seizure memo filled up by the same sub inspector, with the same date, stated that 250 kilogrammes of fish was found in the dhow.
There were also discrepancies in what the crew told the authorities. The dhow's skipper told the navy that the strength of the crew was 21 but it was later amended to 17. Of these 17, one Iranian and seven Pakistanis were not in possession of any identity cards.
The ASG's office has sought an NIA investigation into these unanswered questions.
