Charge sheet against Somali pirates

The 15 pirates arrested in the first anti-piracy operation this year are going to be charge-sheeted in the next 15 days, officers of Yellow Gate police station said on Monday.

The 15 pirates arrested in the first anti-piracy operation this year are going to be charge-sheeted in the next 15 days, officers of Yellow Gate police station said on Monday.

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“The investigations have concluded and we will file the charge sheet within this fortnight,” said Quaiser Khalid, deputy commissioner of police, port zone.

The pirates were apprehended by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard on January 29 while they were trying to hijack MV Verdi off the Lakshwadeep coast. They were handed over to the Yellow Gate police for investigation two days later.

Meanwhile, the four Pakistani hostages who were rescued in the most recent anti-piracy operation are yet to hear from the Pakistani embassy. “We informed the embassy that out of the 20 hostage who were rescued, four said they were Pakistani citizens while the others are from Iran. The Pakistani hostages spoke to their families back home. Despite this we are yet to hear from the Pakistani embassy while the Iran embassy has already finished the necessary paperwork,” said Khalid.

The operation was undertaken after the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the Indian Coast Guards received inputs from a merchant ship, MV Maersk Kensington, of a foiled piracy attack. The 20 hostages were rescued on March 27 after they were held hostage by 16 pirates for over a year.