PARADIP: Even after two days, Marine police are yet to ascertain the motive of the suspicious young man who was apprehended by crew members of a fishing trawler for forcibly entering the stranded vessel in the middle of the sea on Friday.
According to sources, the crew members of the fishing trawler ‘Om Namah Sibaya’ were conducting fishing operations when they located a youth forcefully entering their trawler swimming through the seawater, approximately 70 nautical miles from the Paradip coast on Friday.
One of the crew members, Prahlad Swain, stated that the young man had climbed aboard the trawler naked as he said his clothing had been swept away by the tidal waves. The crew provided him with clothes and inquired about his identity, but he failed to provide any substantial information, raising suspicion. Subsequently, they handed him over to the Marine police.
During questioning, the young man identified himself as Kusa Tirkey Oram, hailing from Simdega district in Jharkhand. An ATM card belonging to another individual was found in his possession. He spoke in manageable Odia and Telugu but did not disclose any details about his arrival on the fishing trawler. He claimed that he was swept into the sea due to floodwaters and after swimming for five to six hours, spotted the trawler and climbed aboard.
Assistant superintendent of police in Paradip, Santosh Jena, said, “A joint interrogation by Marine Police and the Indian Coast Guard has been conducted, but we have not yet found the motive behind his entry into the trawler. No case has been registered as we suspect he may be mentally unstable.” The investigation is on. We have arranged for his stay at a shelter home in Naugaon block, the cop added.