RAJKOT: Families of 11 sailors from Gujarat, who are languishing in Iran jail since May, will have to cough up a massive nearly Rs 57 lakh to seek their release after a court in Iran convicted them for smuggling recently.
The families have approached the ministry of external affairs after they were convicted on November 20. The court has said they will have to pay 25,000 dirhams per convict for the release.
The sailors are natives of Kuch, Bhavnagar and Gir-Somnath districts and the sole breadwinners for their families.
On May 11, their cargo ship MSV Al Irfan registered in Mandvi had set sail from Dubai to Karachi transporting electronic goods like TVs, refrigerators and electric shaving kits. The cargo was cleared by Dubai custom authority, according to the representation of the families submitted to the external affairs ministry.
However, when they were sailing in the international waters near Oman, they were attacked by Iranian pirates and the local military guard intercepted their vessel, arresting all the crew members.
The matter was heard by a local court in Tehran on July 20 and all 11 were found guilty of smuggling goods into Iran, based on an investigation report submitted by the local authorities.
The family members of these crew members in a representation to the external affairs ministry stated that “The GPS location of the ship at the point of interception confirms that the ship was intercepted in international waters.”
They were first taken to Qeshm Island near Tehran and shifted to Bandar Abbas on November 22.
Of the 11, eight are from Kutch. These include five brothers including the ship captain Salim Shiru who live in Mandvi and Mota Salaya.
The arrested sailors are Alimamad Sumara (55), Salim Shiru (38), Hashan Sap (38), all from Mota Salaya village in Kutch; Jasvant Bhaliya (35), Bharat Dhapa (48) and Vina Bhambhaniya (32) from Bhavnagar, Rizwan Shiru (25), Firoz Shiru (33) and Arbaz Shiru (22) from Mandvi; Sirahusseinj Ismalisha (48) from Una and Mamad Luhar (48) Moti Rayan, Kutch
Salim’s brother, Imran, said, “I have represented everyone, from Kutch MP to external affairs ministry, and sent letters to district collector and superintendent of police to get state government help. We are very poor and can’t pay the release amount. Four out of the five brothers are married with children and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to run the families.”
The Kutch Vahanvati Association also represented the external affairs ministry about the ordeal of these seafarers and requested its intervention.
Kutch BJP MP, Vinod Chavda, said “I wrote to the Indian embassy in Tehran and the consulate officers even met them in jail. They are following up the matter with Iranian authorities for their early release.”