Kerala - Kochi   

Fuel ‘theft’ from ship: no headway in probe

KOCHI: The mystery over the alleged theft of fuel from a Naval ship berthed here continues, three days after four persons from west Kochi were arrested on the charge of transporting 3,000 litres of fuel from the ship in a country craft.

The four were remanded to the sub-jail. The Harbour Police alleged that the Naval authorities were not cooperating with the probe. The Navy had handed over a letter that said that the local people had been asked to take away 600 litres of waste oil from INS Nirikshak, the ship from which the fuel is said to have been pumped out.

The Navy expressed its unwillingness to hand over Naval personnel in charge of the ship whom we wanted to question in connection with the case. Moreover, the four persons who were arrested did not have any bill or authorisation letter issued by the Navy to transport the consignment, the police said.

A Navy spokesman said nothing can be confirmed until the probe by a board constituted by the Navy is over. “Naval ships use high-speed diesel. We have to confirm whether this was among the seized consignment. There is a possibility of the barrels in the country craft containing used or contaminated fuel. Moreover, it is not easy for outsiders to enter the high-security Naval jetty,” he said.

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