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The police investigation into the cause of the January 30 collision between Indian Naval Ship Vindhyagiri and Merchant Vessel Nordlake in the navigation channel of the Mumbai port has hit a hurdle with the Navy still to submit the detailed communication records from their ships during the few minutes leading to the accident, even over two months later.
Although the Yellow Gate police have received records from the vessel traffic monitoring system (VTMS) operated by the Mumbai Port Trust, a detailed report from the Navy is awaited. The accident occurred when 14 ships in a Naval convoy were returning from a families’ day at sea.
“We had requested the Navy to submit the detailed report and transcript of the navigation communication of all 14 ships. But the Navy is still to send us the report. We have written to the Navy to send their officers,” said DCP (Port) Quaiser Khalid. Following the collision, a fire broke out on board the INS Vindhyagiri. After firefighting operations, the warship began to list and then sank to the seabed at the Naval Dockyard. Salvage operations to refloat the INS Vindhyagiri are still on.
Asked whether the data of communication from Nordlake has been obtained, Khalid said, “We have received the VTMS data regarding Nordlake.”
Investigators are awaiting reports from the Navy only after which the data will be compared with the statements of the captains of Nordlake, Vindhyagiri and INS Godavari. “To find out the cause of collision, we need to know the positions of all the ships to find out how they were moving before the collision. We should not leave anything to chance because all the captains are denying it was their fault,” added Khalid.
The FIR, that was lodged at the Yellow Gate police station against MV Nordlake at the initiation of Lt Commander Sunil Chaturvedi of the Indian Navy on January 31, has listed Sections 280 (rash navigation of vessel), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (mischief causing damage to others) of the IPC.
Captain M Nambiar, chief PRO (defence), said he was not aware of the update in the case. “We will find out where the probe has reached and co-ordinate with the police,” he said.
Although the Yellow Gate police have received records from the vessel traffic monitoring system (VTMS) operated by the Mumbai Port Trust, a detailed report from the Navy is awaited. The accident occurred when 14 ships in a Naval convoy were returning from a families’ day at sea.
“We had requested the Navy to submit the detailed report and transcript of the navigation communication of all 14 ships. But the Navy is still to send us the report. We have written to the Navy to send their officers,” said DCP (Port) Quaiser Khalid. Following the collision, a fire broke out on board the INS Vindhyagiri. After firefighting operations, the warship began to list and then sank to the seabed at the Naval Dockyard. Salvage operations to refloat the INS Vindhyagiri are still on.
Asked whether the data of communication from Nordlake has been obtained, Khalid said, “We have received the VTMS data regarding Nordlake.”
Investigators are awaiting reports from the Navy only after which the data will be compared with the statements of the captains of Nordlake, Vindhyagiri and INS Godavari. “To find out the cause of collision, we need to know the positions of all the ships to find out how they were moving before the collision. We should not leave anything to chance because all the captains are denying it was their fault,” added Khalid.
The FIR, that was lodged at the Yellow Gate police station against MV Nordlake at the initiation of Lt Commander Sunil Chaturvedi of the Indian Navy on January 31, has listed Sections 280 (rash navigation of vessel), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (mischief causing damage to others) of the IPC.
Captain M Nambiar, chief PRO (defence), said he was not aware of the update in the case. “We will find out where the probe has reached and co-ordinate with the police,” he said.
