Crew knifed on board ship docked at Thoothukudi port

CHENNAI: Various security agencies, including Indian immigration officials and TN Coastal Security Group, are conducting an inquiry into the allegation by Indian crew members on a ship docked at Thoothukudi harbour that they were attacked with knife and iron rods by a group of Vietnamese crew members for asking provisions from the kitchen.

Officials noted that the incident happened on a Panama flag cargo vessel named MV VSG Pride, which was berthed at Thoothukudi Sea Port with 17 crew members. Of the total, eight are Indians and the rest Vietnamese. The ship docked at the port on May 1 to discharge oil cake.

While Immigration officials were checking attendance, they were told that there was a tussle on the vessel over the type of food cooked by the Vietnamese crew and Indians had started making their own food.

Annoyed over this, the chief cook of the ship, hailing from Vietnam, had allegedly assaulted an Indian crew member, Sarvendra Singh, with a knife and caused an injury on the left palm on April 16. Sources said the Immigration officials are inquiring the incident. Some of the Indian crew members alleged that the chief cook had been claiming that he has ISIS links and he ‘would not hesitate to kill.’ It is said that Indians onboard were not given any grocery or food from April 25. The crew also alleged that the third engineer and chief cook claims to be from ISIS, and they have pasted a poster of ISIS on the ship.