Eight Indian crew members of hijacked ship return to Mumbai

Released by Somali pirates after a seven-month-long ordeal, eight crew members of the hijacked ship M/T Asphalt Venture today returned to India. Captain Ramesh Singh and seven sailors were released after reaching a deal with the owners of the vessel, which involved payment of an undisclosed ransom amount.

Released by Somali pirates after a seven-month-long ordeal, eight crew members of the hijacked ship M/T Asphalt Venture today returned to India.

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Captain Ramesh Singh and seven sailors were released on April 15 by the pirates after reaching a deal with the owners of the vessel, which involved payment of an undisclosed ransom amount.

However, the pirates -- who were supposed to release all the 15 crew members -- allegedly backtracked and took seven crew members, including six officers, on-shore to Somalia.

The ship was released by the pirates. Those released waited on the vessel for their colleagues for a while before being escorted safely to the Kenyan port of Mombasa on April 28 with the help of Indian Navy, as staying in pirates-infested waters was not safe.

After a couple of days of rest, they flew to Mumbai in the wee hours today, a representative of the shipping company told PTI over phone.

"It is a wonderful feeling to be back home (and) to be reunited with our families...we remain deeply concerned that seven of our colleagues and friends remain in the hands of the criminal gang," Captain Singh was quoted as saying in an e-mailed statement. In the statement, Singh declined to give more details, saying he did not want to do anything which could compromise the safety of the remaining seven seamen.