KOCHI: A week after their boat met with an accident while on a routine patrol near the uninhabited Suheli Island, two of the three Lakshadweep policemen on board remain missing.
The trio – Nabeel K M, Hidayathulla K C and Ummer – were deployed at the Suheli Island police outpost on August 1 for a 20-day stint. According to a Lakshadweep police official, they were the only cops at the outpost.
“They left for patrol at 10am. The accident took place around noon. Though they managed to hold on to rocks for some time amid the strong currents, they were swept away to different directions,” said the officer. Swept towards the island, Ummer survived. He returned to the outpost and waited for the others, assuming they too might have reached the shore or were rescued. However, as hours passed, he realised something was off and alerted the higher-ups around 3.05am, said the officer.
The Lakshadweep police and island administration launched a search with the Indian Coast Guard’s assistance. However, aerial surveillance, sea searches, drone operations and efforts by local fishermen have failed to bear fruit. The families have now sought the Union government’s intervention.
“Lakshadweep has witnessed similar incidents earlier. Some people were found while others could not be traced due to limitations in equipment and facilities,” said Mohammed Naseeb, Nabeel’s brother.