The Hindu : Front Page : Sailors held in South Korea return

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Sunday, Jun 14, 2009
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Sailors held in South Korea return

Siddhesh Inamdar

They were jailed for “causing environmental damage”

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

Homecoming: MT Hebei Sprit’s crew Captain Jasprit Chawla (right) and chief officer Syam Chetan (left) with their families on their arrival at the Mumbai airport on Saturday.

Mumbai: Seafarers Captain Jasprit Chawla and his chief officer Syam Chetan returned to Mumbai on Saturday after being detained in South Korea for 18 months.

In December 2007, a crane barge rammed their stationary ship in stormy weather. The accident caused a spillage of 10,000 tonnes of oil out of the 2,60,000 tonnes that the ship was carrying. The seafarers were jailed on charges of negligence and causing environmental damage. The ship was Hong Kong-registered.

Since their arrest, the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) had campaigned for their release. On their arrival, Abdulgani Serang, general secretary of the NUSI, said: “We were inspired by the support of the Indian people. Now that the two are back, we are going to ask for greater action against the government and other associations that had worked overtime to ensure the illegal detention of the two seafarers.”

While Captain Chawla flashed victory signs to the media, Mr. Chetan’s young son burst into tears, overwhelmed by the huge media presence. However, he later danced to the drumbeats of the victory rally held outside the Mumbai’s international airport. “The 18 months were the worst part of my life,” said Captain Chawla. “During the interrogation, I thought I would never be able to get back home. The interrogation was conducted in Korean, which we could not follow. Even the judge kept shouting at me; he was not fair. We also received little support from the Indian Consulate in South Korea.” Asked about their future plans, both men said they were relieved to be back in India and intended to spend time with family. “I would eventually like to go back to sea,” said Mr. Chetan.

In 2007, after initial interrogation, the two men were found innocent by a Korean lower court. However, they were convicted by a High Court in December 2008. This was done after Samsung Heavy Industries, which owned the crane barge that rammed their ship, demanded a second investigation.

According to Rajesh Tandon, a colleague, “This second investigation was biased because it was backed by Samsung, whose turnover accounts for 33 per cent of Korea’s GDP [Gross Domestic Product].”

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