Iranian fishermen seek release after KSCSP files chargesheet

Fifteen Iranian fishermen, presently lodged in the district jail, moved an application before the court seeking their release.

The fishermen, who had been arrested for illegally entering and fishing in Indian waters on November 1, 2019, had moved an application for early release through a New Delhi-based advocate appointed by the Embassy, police sources told DH.

The advocate had moved the application on behalf of the Iranian fishermen after the Karnataka State Coastal Security Police (KSCSP) had filed a charge sheet in the court.

Chethan R, KSCSP superintendent of police (Udupi), when contacted, confirmed that the KSCSP had filed a charge sheet under the Foreigners Act and Sections 14,15 (C) of the Maritime Zone of Indian Act 1981. The case, being tried for the first time under Maritime Zone of Indian Act, is being followed keenly. The charge sheet had also accused Iranian fishermen of not cooperating with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

The Iranian fishing boats had ignored the signals from the ICG and continued to sail 165 nautical miles off Mangaluru near Agatti – Lakshadweep. The ICG’s ‘Vikram’ succeeded in intercepting the boats. The presence of fishing materials in the boat had confirmed the suspicions that they were fishing in Indian waters in violation of the maritime rules.

During their fishing expedition, the fishermen had lost one boat ‘Avidi’. The other boat, ‘Ishan’, was presently anchored at the New Mangalore Port (NMP) after securing permission from the jurisdictional court. along with the crew members.

ICG Deputy Commandant Kuldeep Sharma filed a written complaint against the 15 trespassers at the KSCSP station in Mangaluru.

District Jail sources said the 15 Iranian fishermen (Abubakar Ansari Miya, Moosa Dehadani, Azam Ansari, Shid Bachoo, Abdul Majeed, Majeed Rehmani Dawood, Mohammed Isaac, Karim Baksh Doorjade, Mohammed Baloch, Baman, Abdul Ghani Bapur, Nasir Bhadruj, Anwar Baloch, Nabhi Baksh and Yusuf Jahani) were placed together in a single barrack.

Initially, the Iranian fishermen kept complaining about the food served to them in barracks. “Now they have got used to the spices,” a staff in district jail informed on the condition of anonymity.

Sources in the district jail informed that the fishermen were still pinning hopes on being reunited with their families in Iran and were willing to pay the fine amount.