Dy NSA non-committal on NIA taking over case of ship detention

NEW DELHI: With Coast Guard detaining an American ship for suspicious movement in Indian waters, Deputy National Security Advisor Nehchal Sandhu today said law will take its own course but remained non-committal on handing over the case to NIA for probe.

"Law will take its own course," Sandhu told reporters here when asked to comment on the detention of the ship off Tamil Nadu coast and registering a case by marine police.

The vessel, MV Seaman Guard Ohio, whose crew included eight Indians, was intercepted and detained by the Indian Coast Guard about 15 nautical miles east of Tuticorin on Saturday.

An FIR has been registered against 10 crew members and 25 guards of the detained ship by the Tamil Nadu Marine Police for illegally carrying arms and ammunition.

Besides, a case under the Essential Commodities Act has been registered for buying 1,500 litres of diesel illegally with the help of a local shipping agent.

Asked whether the incident was similar to 2012 incident off Kerala coast when guards from an Italian ship fired upon Indian fishermen killing two, Sandhu said that was a separate incident and cannot be compared with seizing of the ship now.

"Well, in Italian Marine case, there was an offence. But here the weapons were discovered on board the ship," he said on the sidelines of a function.

On the possibility of handing over the probe to National Investigation Agency, he said, "We don't know the details. But a report has been sought. We will look into this".