Mumbai: FIR filed against 15 after vessel enters prohibited area

Fishermen gather at Badhwar Park on Saturday after the boat was sighted near the Arabian Sea coast. PIC/PTI

The Mumbai police have registered an FIR against 15 crew members of a fishing boat after it allegedly entered a prohibited area of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in the Arabian Sea and security agencies were provided wrong details about two crew members, an official said on Monday.

The incident took place between 8 am and 10 am on Saturday, 55 nautical miles away from the west coast in the Arabian Sea, an official said. The offence was registered at Yellow Gate police station here on a complaint of the ONGC chief shore security officer on Sunday, the official said.

The fishing boat 'Jalrani' allegedly entered the prohibited area of the ONGC and reached the BPA platform, he said. Those on board the vessel also disobeyed orders of personnel of the naval patrolling boat T-16, which had gone near Jalrani for an inspection, he said.

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As the fishing vessel entered the prohibited area, the naval patrolling boat personnel ordered that it come out from there. But, the fishing boat crew members did not follow the order, he said. Naval personnel then started questioning those on board the fishing boat but they allegedly did not give correct information.

During the enquiry, the boat master told security agencies that two of the sailors were from Pakistan, though they were of Indian origin, he said. The ONGC officials took serious cognisance of the incident and a complaint was filed against the boat master and 14 other sailors, he said.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against them under Indian Penal Code Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 182 (false information) and 179 (refusing to answer public servant authorised to question) and provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act, he said. The case is being investigated, he added.

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