Five Indian seafarers arrested in Iran last February were released on March 9, 2021 after 403 days. However, they still have to return to India as the Iranian authorities have not yet returned their documents.
In a video message, all five men appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their repatriation.
One of the men, Aniket, was seen on the video that said, “Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are making this video for our repatriation. We’re taking this video from Chabahar, which is in Sistan-Balochistan, Iran, Chabahar, where India is building a $ 200 million port. “
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“We languished here in jail for 400 days on false accusations made by our shipowners and agents. We are innocent but suffered in prison. We were finally released on March 9, 2021, and we have neither returned our passports nor handed out our identity papers, “Aniket said.
WHAT’S THE CASE?
The five Indian youth sailors are Aniket Yenpure (Mumbai, Maharashtra), Mandar Worlikar (Mumbai, Maharashtra), Naveen Singh (Bageshwar, Uttarakhand), Pranav Kumar (Saran, Bihar) and Thamizhselvan Rengsamy (Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu).
They were arrested along with the ship “Artin 10” (IMO No. 8921561) from the Strait of Hormoz on February 20, 2020 by the Iranian authorities as part of the criminal conspiracy of drug smuggling.
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They were held without charge in Chabahar Central Prison for 403 days pending the investigation.
On March 8, 2021, a district court in Chabahar pronounced its verdict, finding her innocent and ordering her immediate release.
They were released the next day, but they roam the streets because their passports and ID cards, including the CDC, have not been returned by local authorities. They have been told not to leave the country.
Aniket said, “We are treated like animals running from pillar to post. We are penniless. We have nothing. We have sought help to even reach others. Our life is in danger. Why is our mission not informed? our status? We have no way of making money because we don’t have any documents. “
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FORM SEARCH HELP FROM PM MODI
Meanwhile, one organization, the Indian World Forum, wrote a letter asking for PM Modi’s intervention on the matter.
Puneet Singh, President of the Indian World Forum, contacted the five seafarers and their families.
In his letter, he gives details of the five people, contact persons for their families, and the details of the agents they have hired.
The forum called on PM Modi to “discuss the matter in question with the highest authorities and to lead the Indian missions in Iran in order to provide appropriate assistance to those affected”.
‘AGENTS FALL US’
“The forum also urged the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Shipping to take severe punitive action against the recruitment and service placement agencies and any other defendants involved in the ordeal,” the press release said.
Meanwhile, Aniket said on his video, “Some Indian agents capture us and send innocent people like us to Iran, where we are suffering. Strict measures should be taken against such unscrupulous agents at the Indian Embassy to deal with our repatriation. “
While the men have been released, they do not have the documents, funds or financial support to find their way back to India.
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