Mumbai: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India (ONGC) registered a case at Yellow Gate police station after two suspicious boats were seen on Mumbai High Field (over 175km off the west coast). The boats were spotted near the restricted ONGC platform on Sept 12 but the police received a complaint from ONGC on Dec 28.
The complaint was filed by ONGC Senior Foreman Fitter Kishore Laxman Kharat, 59. As per Mr Kharat, ONGC has platforms in the Arabian Sea, about 83 miles from Mumbai. The company’s employees work and live on this platform.
There are a few unmanned platforms, too, which are regularly inspected. One of these, Sagar Samrat SHP, where the boats were spotted, is nearly 21.4 nautical miles from the main platform.
Unidentified boatmen entered restricted area
As per Mr Kharat, unidentified boatmen with fishing boat registration number IND MH 07 MM 2292 entered the restricted area and tied the boat with a rope to the platform on Sept 12.
Subsequently, during routine inspection on Sept 27, Jay Malhar Sairaj fishing boat with number 07 MM 816 was spotted about 8.4 nautical miles from the main platform. Unidentified boatmen were observed entering the restricted area, too.
