KOCHI: The police have arrested three persons in connection with the incident in which four national flags and five Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ensigns were found dumped along with a heap of scrap in a plot at Irumpanam a few days back. The arrested are Shameer and Mani Bhaskar of Vengola and Sajir of Thoppumpady.
The lorry, which was used for transporting the scrap containing flags, belonged to Shameer while Mani Bhaskar was the driver. The police said Sajir, who owned a scrap unit at Thoppumpady, collected the scrap from the Materials Organisation (MO) of the Indian Navy and directed both Shameer and Mani to dump the waste somewhere for which he offered them `15,000. “It’s for the money that the two dumped the materials in the plot,” a police officer said.
Though the arrested, engaged in scrap handling business, have given an explanation on how the four Indian flags made its way as scrap, the police couldn’t get a convincing explanation on how ICG ensigns were in the dumped heap.When TNIE spoke to the scrap dealer on Thursday, he gave a different version. He said the scrap materials were from the ship breaking unit in Kannur and that the Indian flags and the life jackets were from the two ships of Lakshadweep administration which were being dismantled at the unit.
“The ensigns of the ICG might have been in the scrap bundles which we took from the ship breaking unit. After we brought the scrap from Kannur, a few of the bundles that contained life jackets were handed over to other two scrap agents who normally take these to extract small brass pins and other usable items. We really dont know why they dumped it an open space, that too in a private property,” he said. “We are verifying the details given by the accused,” the officer said.
The three were arrested by a police team led by Hill Palace station house officer V Gopakumar.The ICG has launched a parallel probe into the incident. While defence forces should follow a protocol to dispose of their ensign or Indian flag, it’s still a mystery how the ensigns landed in the custody of the scrap dealer. Sources said every material including flags of Coast Guard are routed through the MO attached to the Indian Navy. “It’s the MO that tenders the scrap materials to private scrap dealers. The MO should follow the detailed protocol in disposing of Indian flag or an ensemble. It’s a mystery how the flags reached the private scrap dealers,” a source said.