The Malpe police in Udupi have rescued seven fishermen who were reportedly held hostage by a group at Bhatkal, after tugging their boat forcibly from mid-sea near Malpe to Bhatkal on Tuesday.
According to a complaint filed with the Malpe police by Chetan Saliyan, seven persons, namely Nagaraj Harikant, Nagaraj H. Harikant, Arun Harikant Ankola, Ashok Kumta, Karthik Harikant Manki, Chandrakant Harikant Uppunda, and Subrahmanya Kharvi, sailed out in Lailan fishing boat from Malpe to the deep sea for fishing on February 19.
While returning early on Tuesday, their fishing net fell on a fan of the boat and the engine stopped working. Then a group of about 25 persons came in another boat and tugged the immobile boat to the Bhatkal fishing harbour.
The group held the seven persons hostage and stole ₹8 lakh worth of fish and 7,500 litres of diesel from the boat, said the complaint.
The Malpe police said a special team went to Bhatkal on Tuesday. They rescued the seven fishermen and recovered the stolen fish and diesel. Search is on for the accused, the police said.
