Mumbai police file chargesheet in ship’s hijack by 35 Somali pirates

MUMBAI: Yellow Gate police on Monday filed a 4,000-page chargesheet before a special court against 35 Somali pirates who allegedly hijacked a Bulgarian merchant vessel, MV Ruen, last Dec 14 in the Arabian Sea and demanded a ransom of $60 million to release it and its 18 crew members.

The Indian Navy captured the pirates during a 40-hour anti-piracy operation, which saw marine commandos being paradropped from a C-17 aircraft and exchange of gunfire, in March this year, brought them to Mumbai and handed them over to city police.

"The accused formed a gang and created terror," said a police officer.

The chargesheet contains the statements of 70 witnesses, including Navy personnel, forensic experts and doctors. The statements of five Bulgarian crew members were recorded before a magistrate.

Police had seized two boats, three engines, 254 live cartridges, one magazine and a knife, among other items, from the pirates, and had booked them for attempted murder, kidnapping for ransom, extortion and criminal intimidation, among other charges. They had invoked sections of Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, Arms Act, Passport Act and Foreigners Act.

Police said that the pirates had fired bullets at a Navy drone that was sent near the location. An officer of the Bulgarian crew was injured after the pirates shot at him. Police took the help of a Somali student from Pune as an interpreter while interrogating the accused.

Three weeks ago, police had filed a 1,500-page chargesheet against nine pirates who were arrested in March this year from the Arabian Sea in a separate case.