With its preliminary investigation confirming the oil tanker’s involvement in the hit and run of fishing boat Oceanic, the Coastal police have taken the captain and two crew members of Indian-registered MV Desh Shakti into custody.
According to officials, Captain B.S. Ahluwalia of New Delhi, second officer Nandakishore Gaaru of Rajasthan and seaman Rajkumar of Bihar, who were in command of the ship at the time of collision, will be subjected to a thorough interrogation.
‘‘Upon examining the location map and navigational records of the ship, we could confirm the ship’s presence at the spot where the collision took place on August 7. They will be brought to Kochi by Tuesday night itself,’’ officials said.
The investigation team, during an underwater survey at the bottom of the ship, found scratches on its body, besides paint samples of the sunken fishing vessel. These evidences prima facie established the involvement of the oil tanker in the accident.
Four persons were killed and seven went missing when an unidentified ship rammed a fishing boat on August 7. The collision had taken place around 27 nautical miles north-west off Chettuva barmouth in Thrissur.
The oil tanker, owned by the Shipping Corporation of India and brought to Mangaluru waters two days after the collision, has been berthed at Berth 10 of the New Mangalore Port since August 9.
Meanwhile, Marine Enforcement Wing officials are examining reports of a body being spotted by a fishing boat off the Alappuzha coast on Tuesday.