On September 9, sixty Somali men have been sentenced to serve a 7 year prison terms for carrying out piracy attack on a merchant vessel in 2011.
What happened?
On March 11, the Indian Navy apprehended a pirate vessel ‘Vega-5’ in anti-piracy operations in 2011 by the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. The Southern Naval Command headquarters had apprised Navy officials on Indian naval warship INS Kalpeni of a pirate attack near Lakshadweep Island in the Exclusive Economic Zone of India.
Vessel apprehended:
The pirate vessel lacked the mandatory Automatic Identification System and speed boats were also seen departing from the pirated vessel.
The boats opened fire on the Navy vessel and its officers. A communication was made with the pirate vessel and they were ordered to surrender. The men on the pirate vessel retaliated with a message stating that if they are not left alone, they will kill hostages on the ship.
A large explosion was heard on the pirate vessel after which the pirates began jumping out of it. A subsequent rescue operation by the Navy led to a total of 74 persons being rescued, which included 13 persons who were the original crew of Vega-5 who were nationals of Indonesia and Mozambique.
The men were eventually arrested by the Yellow Gate police station and booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
They were also found guilty for illegal possession of weapons including 11 AK-47 rifles with magazines, 10 AK-47 rifles without magazines, two rocket launchers, ten magazines of rocket launchers.
Sentence handed over:
Sessions court, Judge J C Jagdale has directed the state to deport the accused to their native state, Somalia, after release from prison. The judge also sentenced each of the men to serve a prison sentence for 7 years following which they will be deported.
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Source: The Indian Express
