NEW DELHI: On a day when Pakistan military court awarded death sentence to a former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was in Pakistan captivity for alleged spying, a maritime force saved lives of two Pakistani maritime commandos.
The Indian Coast Guard, on Sunday, while patrolling into Indian waters, a distress call was received at the Maritime Rescue Coordination centre in Mumbai from Karachi, headquarters of Pakistani Maritime Security Agency (PSA).
According to information provided by the Indian Coast Guards headquarters based in the national capital, the message was regarding a speed boat of Pakistani Maritime Security Agency that was gone missing on a routine patrol off the International Maritime Boundary Line. and the last recorded location of speed boat was 59 nautical miles West of Jakhau and was feared that it may have drifted into Indian waters.
"Immediately, three ships patrolling the sea including Coast Guard ship Ankit, ICGS Samrat and ICGS Arinjay were diverted for Search and Rescue Operations. In addition to a Dornier patrol aircraft and an advanced light helicopter later joined in to undertake sea and air coordinated searches in Indian waters," a statement issued by the Indian Coast Guard said.
Pakistani side also deployed three ships and two helicopters in their waters. But, hours after search and rescue operation launched by Indian Coast Guards, an Indian fishing boat identified as Dhanshree Chamunda' on Monday spotted the Pakistani boat and recovered rescued two Pakistani maritime commandoes from water and four were drowned.
As their condition was fast deteriorating due to prolonged exposure to the sun, they were given immediate medical attention. The fishermen contacted the Coast Guard ship Samarat over the VHF and subsequently handed the Pakistani commandos to them for medical attention.
"Subsequently the search operation yielded recovery of bodies of other four crew members of which three were recovered by coast guard ship Arinjay and Ankit. Both survived Pakistani maritime commandoes and four dead bodies were handed over to Pakistan agency on Wednesday," Indian Coast Guard statement added.