Date:28/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/28/stories/2008082853090300.htm

Kerala

Keralite among crew of hijacked vessel

Staff Reporter

KASARAGOD: About a week after pirates hijacked an Iranian bulk carrier, Iran Deynat, off the Somalia coast, the family of Jeevan Kiran DSouza, 28, a member of the crew, is yet to get any information on the plight of their son. Jeevan hails from Uppala in the district.

“We have not received any information from the shipping company till 4 p.m. on June 27,” Livory Dsouza, father of Jeevan, told The Hindu. “We have information that the shipping company’s officials will contact us today [on Wednesday] and we are waiting for it,” he said adding the family came to know about the incident from a web site.

The news was noticed by Jeevan’s elder brother Wilson DSouza, who works in Kuwait, on August 21. After seeing the news, Wilson contacted his younger sibling on his mobile. Mr. Jeevan confirmed to his brother that his ship had been hijacked and that he did not know what would happen eventually, Mr. Dsouza said.

“My son was terribly upset and was afraid when he spoke to his brother.” That was the only contact the family had with Jeevan. Though Wilson tried to contact Jeevan early next morning he did not get him. All attempts to contact Jeevan had failed since then.

Jeevan joined the ship two years ago. He visited his home once after that.

The ship has 24 crew members on board and three of them are Indians, the other two are from Maharashtra. Mr. Dsouza said the family had faxed memorandums to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Union Minister for Non-Resident Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed to get them.