Mumbai: Navy orders an inquiry into ‘accidental shooting’ of a fisherman in high seas
The Indian Navy has ordered an inquiry into the Sunday evening incident where a fisherman was ‘accidentally shot’ by the agency’s patrolling vessel off the Mumbai coast.
While the Mumbai fishermen association claims that the victim was fishing in the high seas, the Navy asserts that they had to resort to firing as the victim did not pay any heed to their repeated warnings and did not move out of the prohibited area.
“An Immediate Support Vessel (ISV) was on coastal security patrol in the Offshore Development Area i.e. Bombay High, around 80 Km from Mumbai. While providing protection to the offshore oil rig, ISV noticed a fishing boat anchored close to an oil platform.
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Despite repeated warnings, when the boat refused to move out of the prohibited area, warning shots were fired into the water. One round deflected on hitting the water and accidently hit a fisherman in the boat. The fisherman was immediately evacuated by helicopter to a hospital ashore for treatment. His condition is currently stable,” the press release by the agency read.
“The incident was immediately reported to the Joint Operations Centre which is manned round the clock and where all authorities concerned with coastal security are present. His relatives have also been informed”, it further added.
The fishing boat came close to one of the oil platforms of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) located in Bombay High whose oil rigs are secured by the Navy.
An ONCG spokesperson told The Indian Express, “One fisherman was brought with injury by few fishermen in one of the ONGC Mumbai offshore platforms.
The ONGC medical team gave first aid and he was shifted to a Mumbai hospital. ONGC provided all supports to the injured fisherman to save his life,” he said.
Source:: Indian Express