Missing captain of barge P305 booked on crew’s complaint

Has been accused of overlooking alerts, endangering lives; firm said captain stayed in sea despite being asked to return

MUMBAI: Yellow gate police in Mumbai on Friday registered an offence against the captain of the barge, Papaa305 (P305), which sank in the Arabian Sea during Cyclone Tauktae, resulting in the loss of at least 60 lives. The case was filed on the basis of a complaint lodged by a crew member of the accommodation barge.

Police have booked the barge’s captain Rakesh Ballav – who is still missing –and some others under sections 304(II) (an act done with knowledge that it is likely to cause death), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

“We have registered a case against the captain and others on the basis of a statement given by 49-year-old Mistafizur Rahman Hussain Shaikh, who was a part of the maintenance crew of the barge,” joint commissioner of police (law and order) Vishwas Nangre Patil said.

Shaikh has accused Ballav and others of “overlooking the weather alerts and failing to take appropriate care despite knowing that the lapse could result in loss of lives”.

In his statement given to Yellow Gate police, the Malad resident said that the barge was anchored near an unmanned platform in Heera oil fields in Bombay High.

“Around 11.00pm on Sunday, the wind speed started to increase and an hour later, the speed almost doubled and the crew could hear the roaring storm. At about 2am, two of the eight anchor cables of the barge gave way and the captain sent a distress message to a tug boat which was supposed to be in the vicinity. However, the boat was about 16 nautical miles away and expressed inability to move in the stormy weather,” he told the police.

Shaikh added that around 4am, two more anchor cables broke and the barge started experiencing major jerks. Eventually by 8am, all the anchors gave way and the barge started drifting when the wind speed was about 60-70 knots. He said later the barge hit a platform at about 9.45am and water started gushing inside. It was then that the captain sent a distress signal to the Navy and other authorities, said Shaikh.

An officer attached to Yellow Gate police station said that they have recorded statements of more than 100 survivors of barge P305 rescued by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.

According to Afcons Infrastructure, which lead the consortium that had chartered the ill-fated barge along with its marine crew, the captain of P305 chose to stay in the sea despite receiving instructions for returning to Mumbai Harbour in the wake of warnings for Cyclone Tauktae.

The Navy has so far rescued 186 on-board the barge and recovered 60 bodies of the crew members. A search is on for the 15 remaining members of P305. The Navy is also looking for 11 crew members of a tug boat, Varaprada, which had gone missing after the cyclone, which is the severest to have hit the Konkan coast in two decades.

Three P8I surveillance aircrafts Two Chetak helicopters Seaking 42 Bravo helicopter Seaking 42 Charlie helicopter Two advance light helicopters

Location:

INS Kochi INS Betwa

INS Talwar INS Beas

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