Pics: Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Feb 17: President of Malpe Fishermen's Association, Sathish Kunder, warned that unless truth about the outcome of the operation launched to locate missing 'Suvarna Tribhuja' fishing boat from Malpe is revealed, the fishermen will lay siege to Kadamba Naval Base at Karwar and sit in protest demonstration opposite the residence of the chief minister at Bengaluru.

He was speaking to media persons after the family members of the fishermen who have disappeared without any clue, and fishermen leaders met the district superintendent of police here on Saturday February 16.

"There is suspicion that the missing fishing boat would have drowned after getting involved with an accident with navy warship, INS Kochi. We have reasons to believe that systematic plans are afoot to conceal the reality," he said.

He pointed out that the place and timing at which the fishing boat went missing and the bottom of the warship was damaged match with each other. He said that later, the navy had claimed that during the search conducted with the help of navy ships, INS Satlej and INS Nireekshak, the navy had claimed to have found a 23-feet long remnant at the bottom of the sea. But a few days later, in its official communication, the department said that what the ships found was not a part of the boat but a stone. He pointed out that the department has not yet satisfactorily explained how the bottom of its warship was damaged.

Pramod Salian, brother of missing fisherman, Damodar Salian, Annappa Harikanth, brother of Ravi, Govind Harikanth, brother of Laxman, Nagaraj Mogera, brother of Ramesh, Vasudeva Mogera, father-in-law of Harish, and Malpe fishermen leaders, Gopal R K, Kishore D Suvarna, Karunakar Kotian, Santosh Salian and Raviraj Suvarna were present.