Kumar Prashant

Patna, April 27: A phone call from Kumar Prashant, the mariner on board MV Shinin hijacked by Somalian pirates, this evening has dimmed the hopes of his family.

Until last week, the family was extremely hopeful after officials of the shipping company, Irano Hind Shipping Company, assured them that negotiations to rescue the trapped mariners were in the last leg.

All that has suddenly changed now.

“Around 4pm, my brother called me and spoke for three minutes. He said the crew had come to know that the company was not holding any negotiation with the pirates stating that they did not have any funds. Moreover, the crew had run out of food. This has come as a shocker to us because till recently, the company officials were telling the families that negotiations were in the last leg,” Nishant, the younger brother of Prashant, told The Telegraph today.

He added that Prashant pleaded him to provide him the contact numbers of state government officials as well as that of mediapersons so that he could call them up himself if given a chance and explain things.”

“We do not know what to do now. Going by my brother’s statements, it seems clear that the company is lying to the families. On one hand, they are saying that the negotiations are on. On the other, they are saying they have no funds,” Nishant said.

Shocked by the latest developments, Nishant immediately rang up the personal assistant of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

“I called up the number to seek an appointment with the chief minister, but the call went unanswered. Then I called up the CM’s residence. The person who took the call said Nitishji was not well and could not meet anyone for at least nine days. This is very depressing indeed. I want to meet the chief minister and talk to him about this. He should meet us,” Nishant added.

It is still unclear as to how did the crew came to know that the company did not have any funds. “The pirates might have spoken to the company and, in turn, the crew also came to know the same from them,” the brother said.

A second officer with MV Shinin, owned by Irano Hind Shipping Company based in Iran, the cargo vessel was carrying a large quantity of iron ore from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates for Singapore, when it was hijacked on February 12 this year.

Altogether there are 10 Indians and 13 Iranian nationals on the vessel.