Police get custody of 15 captured pirates

The 15 pirates who were apprehended by the Navy and later handed over to the Mumbai police were produced in the Ballad Pier magistrate court on Tuesday.

The 15 pirates who were apprehended by the Navy and later handed over to the Mumbai police were produced in the Ballad Pier magistrate court on Tuesday.

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The court remanded the pirates to police custody till February 7.

“We could not produce them before the court on Monday since most of them are injured and undergoing treatment. Now that we have custody, we can start interrogating them,” said Quaiser Khalid, deputy commissioner of police, Port Zone, adding that translators have been called to facilitate the interrogation.

According to the police, 20 hostages of Thai and Myanmarese origin found on the hijacked ship Pratanalaya are going to be brought to Mumbai as well.

“We have confirmed that these hostages did not play any role in the entire episode. They were unarmed and kept in captivity by the pirates,” said Khalid. The police confirmed that these fishermen were originally crewmembers of Pratanalaya, which was hijacked in April 2010.

The Yellow Gate police station had lodged an FIR (first information report) against the 15 pirates who were arrested on January 28.

The pirates have been charged under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from

discharge of his duty), 143, 145 and 149 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to
disperse), 147 and 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) of the Indian Penal Code, read with the foreigners act and passport registration rules.