Friday, January 17, 2014
by: Rebecca Samervel
MUMBAI: A sessions court today issued bailable warrants against four naval officers for failing to appear as witnesses in the 2011 Somali Pirates case. Special public prosecutor Ranjeey Sangle said that the court had issued summons to the concerned officials of the Western Naval Command on January 7. However, they failed to be present in court on Friday. The matter will now be heard on January 31. The 120 pirates were nabbed in four operations that were carried out by the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy off Lakshadweep in 2011.
The Coast Guard and the navy later handed over the pirates to the Yellow Gate police to carry out the inquiry. The pirates have been booked on charges of attempt to murder. The first batch of 15 pirates was captured on January 28 in a 28-hour operation 300 nautical miles (570 km) off Lakshadweep Islands carried out by the Indian Navy and rescued 20 fishermen of Thai and Myanmarese nationalities.
On February 6, 2012 28 more pirates were caught in a joint anti- piracy operation by the Coast Guard and Indian Navy and rescued 24 Thai fishermen. On March 12 two Indian Navy warshipsintercepted a pirate mother ship, Vega 5, about 600 nautical miles off the country's western coast captured Sixty-one pirates and 13 fishermen were rescued. On March 26 the piracy attempt on MV Maersk Kensington thwarted west of Lakshadweep was foiled and arrested 16 Somali pirates and rescued 16 hostages.