Crew of Indian vessel detained at UAE port will abandon ship on July 31, says captain
Captain Kumar Krishna said that they will be running out of food and drinking water by the end of this month.
The captain of an Indian merchant ship, Maharshi Vamadeva, detained at the Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates, has said that the 18-member crew will abandon ship on July 31, PTI reported.
Fujairah port authorities detained the vessel, a gas carrier, in June 2017 for alleged non-payment of dues by the ship’s owner Varun Global, a company under liquidation due to bankruptcy. The 18-member crew joined the vessel in February after the previous crew was evacuated following protests.
“We have decided to abandon the ship on July 31, 2018, early morning,” Captain Kumar Krishna told PTI over a mail. “By July 31, it will be a complete month living in blackout condition. Also, by this date we will be left with no food and even drinking water,” he said. The mail has also been marked to various ministries in the government, PTI reported.
In June, Krishna said that the health of crew members were deteriorating with rapid weight loss, high stress and multiple ailments. The crew members, who are managed by Gurgaon-based Darya Shipping Agency, alleged that they had limited access to food and water and have not been paid their full wages.
Darya Shipping Agency’s Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Deshwal said it was impossible to retain any crew on board under the present circumstances. “All crew will sign off and we will not be responsible for this vessel under these dangerous conditions and no support from the stakeholders,” Deshwal told PTI. “The UAE authorities have given their consent to evacuate the ship completely.”
Deshwal said Darya Shipping Agency was made to sign a contract by the Insolvency Resolution Partner appointed by the National Company Law Tribunal to take over the insolvent company on behalf of the bank and manage all activities of the company.
“They asked us to take over a vessel owned by the State Bank of India which was the lead mortgagee bank for the vessel,” Deshwal claimed. He said the company signed a contract with SBI, who made an initial remittance of around Rs 1 crore. “Once the crew was [on board], they [SBI] stopped payment and said they wouldn’t make any payment until the vessel is sold,” Deshwal alleged.