MIRACH

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Mirach crew finally released

On June 28, 2011, the Kanyakumari district administration released seven crew members of the "Mirach" which sank off the coast of Kanyakumari two months ago. The local police, as per the directions of district officials and the director general of shipping, had confiscated their passports and kept them in a private lodge near Nagercoil. No case had been registered against them for nearly three months. 25 sailors from Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, were detained after they abandoned their ship after hit a rock and sank on April 4 underway with a cargo of iron ore from Visakhapatnam to Karachi. In May, the authorities allowed 15 of the crew to leave following the media reports on the alleged illegal detention. Three more sailors were later released on humanitarian reasons. The remaining seven, including the Turkish captain, remained detained pending an investigation into the accident. They were returning to their countries on June 29 morning, not without expressing thanks to the International Transport Workers Federation, Sailors Helpline and media for helping them. The Madurai bench of the Madras high court had issued notice to the district administration seeking explanation on the sailors' detention after a petition was filed in this regard. Still last week, the district administration in its reply denied that the sailors were being detained illegally

8 illegally detained crew members of Mirach to be released

The Kanyakumari district administration will release eight foreign sailors who were illegally detained after their vessel sunk off the coast of Kanyakumari two months back. The district officials and the police had confiscated the passport of sailors after the accident and kept them in a private lodge near Nagapattinam without even registering a case. Last week, the district administration in its reply to the Madurai bench of Madras high court had denied that the sailors had been detained illegaly. This despite the fact that the passports of sailors were with the local police. The sailors have been sufferring from serious psychological problems due to the over two-months detention. The local police had earlier let off 15 of the 24 sailors considering their bad health

Crew not detained according to police

Tamil Nadu Police on June 14, 2011, informed the Madras High Court that the crew of the "Mirach" has not been detained but only accommodated in a hotel with adequate protection. The 8 crew members of the vessel which grounded and sank off Manavalakurichi coast on April 4 underway from Vishakapattinam to Karachi in Pakistan with a cargo of iron ore, were healthy and being provided food. The sailors have been accommodated in hotel by the shipping company itself. The high court bench who heard the case adjourned it to June 17.