CHENNAI: Curtains came down on the fortnight-long arrest drama involving the senior crew members of MV Prabhu Daya, the commercial liner which collided against a fishing boat on March 1, killing five Kerala fishermen, with the captain of the rogue ship being hauled to the shore on Tuesday. Master Mariner of MV Prabhu Daya, Gordon Charles Pereira (48), was arrested and booked under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of IPC by a Kerala police team led by Ernakulam Range IGP K Padma Kumar, on Monday. However, the arrested man could not be brought to the shore, as the Chennai Port authorities raised serious objections, saying the ship would be left without a captain.“We could not bring him to the shore on Monday, as there were technical issues involved,”he told Express. “Periera was the first officer and so the port authorities raised concerns,” he said.On Tuesday, the issue was solved, when the ship’s management suggested that one of the crew members, a second engineer, take charge of the vessel and the Chennai Port authorities approved the proposal, sources said. Periera, who is the third accused in the case, was brought to the shore around 12.30 pm. Since he had to be produced before a court within 24 hours of his arrest, he was taken to the 16th Judicial Magistrate Court in George Town and then taken to Alapuzzha by road by the police team.The captain also had another case booked against him under Section 307 (attempt to murder) following a complaint lodged by second officer Prashobh’s father, alleging that his son was thrown off the ship near Trincomalee, soon after the collision. On Monday, the captain’s plea for anticipatory bail was rejected by the Madras HC.With the second accused, Mayur Virendra Kumar, and now the captain in their grip, the police are looking to secure Prashobh, who is the prime accused in the case. However,there appears to be a question mark over the fate of the ship, which continues to be anchored off the coast, with the port authorities reluctant to allot the vessel a berth inside the harbour.
Comments
0 comment