Panel to address hijack cases formed, HC told

The Mercantile Marine Department(MMD) on Tuesday submitted before the Kerala High Court that the Central government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group of Officers (IMGO) to address all issues related to the hijacking of merchant ships involving Indian seafarers and to monitor the progress of their release.

The group, headed by Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor to Ministry of Shipping,  comprises representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Cabinet Secretariat.

The MMD made the submissions on a petition filed by Shobha Krishnan of Mallappally, Pathanamthitta, seeking the release of her husband T B Unnikrishnan who was the second officer of the vessel MT Asphalt Venture, which was hijacked by Somalian pirates on September 28, 2010.