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India takes up hostages issue with Singapore

SINGAPORE: India has taken up with Singapore the issue of ensuring the safety and securing the release of two Indian nationals being held by pirates aboard a Singapore-registered container vessel off Somalia. This was indicated to The Hindu by India’s new High Commissioner T.C.A. Raghavan on Monday.

The Indians, a sailor and the chief engineer of mv Kota Wajar, are among its crew of 21 being held captive. Mr. Raghavan said there were only two Indians aboard the ship and not four as reported earlier.

The ship-owner, Pacific International Lines, said the Somali pirates who hijacked the vessel last Thursday later made contact with the company. However, it would not be possible to disclose details of negotiations until after the release of the crew, the company said.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said the ship, while on its way to Mombasa from here, was boarded by unidentified men north of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

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