[1]A special police team from Kerala on Monday arrested Gordon Charles Pereira, the captain of the controversial ship MV Prabhu Daya that collided with a fishing boat Don-I off Alappuzha coast killing five fishermen on March 1.
Though the arrest was made on records, the captain is yet to be brought to the land, owing to Chennai Port Trust regulations. According to top police sources, the captain will be taken to land only after the next officer assumes charge as the captain of the ship.
“Though the arrest was recorded, we cannot bring him to Alappuzha immediately. The Port Trust regulations are expected to be sorted out on Tuesday and the captain will be presented before the Alappuzha court as soon as possible,” said K. Padmakumar, the Central Zone IG of the state.
The arrest was made by a police team headed by Padmakumar and Alappuzha Dy SP Mahesh Kumar. The team reached Chennai port on Monday morning and recorded the arrest after the Madras High Court rejected the captain’s anticipatory bail plea.
Meanwhile MV Prabhu Daya, presently anchored at the outer sea of Chennai port, is expected to be brought to Kochi port on Thursday for further investigations. The vessel was arrested pursuant to a Madras High Court order on a civil suit filed by owner of the fishing vessel Don-I, seeking Rs1 crore relief.
The police had earlier registered murder attempt cases against the ship’s captain and crew members for allegedly pushing Prasobh Sugathan, a malayalee second officer, out of the ship. Prasobh, who is the first accused in the case, was in charge of the merchant vessel at the time of the accident.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/prabhu-daya-newc0jpgcropdisplayjpg-336