Maharashtra: Drunk takes fishing boat on joyride, drives cops nuts

Sav Pedru, the boat. Pics/Hanif Patel

The helper of a missing fishing trawler, for which the Indian Coast Guard and the marine police had deployed a helicopter and a speedboat, was on a joyride in the sea under the influence of alcohol, said cops. Local fisherfolk found the boat anchored in Shrivardhan taluka of Raigad district and alerted its owner Peter Dambar.

The trawler belonged to fisherman Peter Dambar, who filed a complaint with the police and the customs authorities on Wednesday, saying his boat Sav Pedru was stolen on October 31 from Pachu Bandar in Vasai West where it had been anchored. His helper Vikas Dhangda, who was on the fishing vessel, was also untraceable. The police filed an FIR on Thursday.

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Helper Akash who was nabbed from Raigad

In his statement to the Vasai police, Vikas Dhangda said that he was drunk and was chasing the lighthouses while riding on the sea.

The Indian Coast Guard and marine police had stepped up coastal patrolling after the complaint. Since it's a coastal theft, the marine police are also probing into the complaint. The coast guard and the marine police had deployed a helicopter and a speedboat to find the trawler.

Helper Akash (in pink T-shirt) in Raigad

The government has been giving much thrust to coastal security, particularly after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The attackers had hijacked an Indian boat, the Kuber, to reach the city.

The boat, Sav Pedru, anchored at Pachu Bandar area of Vasai West and Vikas, a native of Palghar taluka, was sleeping in it.

Peter Dambar, boat owner. Pics/Hanif Patel

Dambar had asked the fishing community for help after his trawler went missing, and circulated its photos across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa.

A local social activist Satish Gamjya told mid-day that the boat was found anchored in Shrivardhan taluka of Raigad district.

Gamjya said that fisherfolk's leader Philip Mastan received a call from fisherman Ravi Dhanu from the Cuffe Parade area. "Dhanu had seen the photograph of the missing boat on WhatsApp. He had seen a similar looking boat anchored in Raigad district. He informed Mastan and I also learnt about it," he added.

"I immediately rushed to the Vasai police station along with Dambar. Senior Inspector Kalyanrao Karpe promptly acted on Thursday and deployed one inspector who contacted Dighi Sagri cops, who confirmed that Sav Pedru is anchored in their jurisdiction," Gamjya said.

"One fishing net costs around Rs 70,000. The boat owner had stored grocery items for daily use in the sea and ice cubes to store fish. The poor fisherman is worried as the boat is his only source of income," Gamjya said.

Activist Akash had joined Dambar's trawler recently. "Previously, he [Akash] worked as a helper in south Mumbai," he said.

Dambar said, "We were about to venture into the sea. All the expensive 25 fishing nets, 200 litres of diesel and ice in bulk to store fish had been kept on the boat. Akash was sleeping in the boat, which we had anchored at Pachu Bandar."

"I got to know about it [theft] on November 1 when neighbouring fishermen told me that they saw my boat venturing into the sea," he said.

Dambar thanked the police and the fisherfolk for helping him find the missing trawler. The price of the fishing boat is Rs 35 lakh-Rs 40 lakh.

An officer from Vasai police station said, "We have taken the missing boat and the helper in our custody and they are being brought to Vasai from Raigad district. The FIR has been registered under IPC Section 379 (theft) on the complaint of the boat owner."

Nov 2
Day the helper took the trawler on joyride

Rs 40l
Approx cost of a fishing boat