NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy on Tuesday relieved the Commanding Officer (CO) of its frontline warship, INS Talwar, of his duties for allegedly giving an order that led to the death of a young officer during an exercise off the coast of Gujarat.
Captain Rahul Parmar, the CO of the Russian-built frigate, INS Talwar, was shifted out after an under-training officer Sub Lieutenant Vipin Kumar lost his life on December 29 during a swimming drill. A board of inquiry has already been ordered into the incident. According to a senior officer, ‘Parmar has been relieved of his command and it has been handed over to the warship’s second-in-command.’ After the inquiry, the details of the incident will be sent to the higher echelons of the Navy and ‘appropriate action’ will be initiated.
Earlier, it was as part of the swimming drill module of the survival of the training of young cadets that they were made to dive into the sea. And it was during one of these exercises that Kumar lost his life. The Russian-built Talwar class stealth frigate was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2003. The warship has been involved in various successful operations including anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali Coast.