A 22-year-old fisherman was injured after sustaining injuries from a bullet shot by one of the crew members aboard a patrolling Indian Navy vessel in the offshore development area at Bombay High off the Arabian Sea on Sunday evening.
Amid conflicting versions by the Navy and the fishermen about how the bullet brushed off the victim, Sushant Angelo Luji’s shoulders, Port Zone police has registered a case of attempt to murder while the Navy has initiated an inquiry on its own.
Maintaining that the area was a high security zone and hence a “no-go” area for normal shipping and fishing traffic, Navy officials maintained that their men aboard an Immediate Support Vessel (ISV) on a coastal security patrol fired warning shots one of which accidentally hit Sushant.
“While providing protection to the offshore oil rig, ISV noticed a fishing boat anchored close to an oil platform. Despite repeated warnings when the boat refused to move out of the prohibited area, warning shots were fired into the water. One round deflected on hitting the water and accidently hit a fisherman on the boat,” said a Navy statement.
The victim was evacuated by a helicopter to a hospital ashore for treatment. His condition is stable.
Fishermen who were travelling with Sushant on the boat, Christwell, purportedly told the police that the Navy men did not give them enough time to navigate their way outside the restricted area. As many as 19 fishermen were on the boat while five were onboard the Naval vessel, said sources.
