India’s controversial story over intercepting a Pakistani ‘terror boat’ on New Year’s Eve has taken a new twist with the country’s Deputy Inspector General of the Coast Guard B.K. Loshali first boasting of ordering to blow up the boat in the Arabian Sea and later denying media reports quoting his statements.
A report on Indian Express, earlier on Wednesday, had quoted Loshali as saying that he was the one to order to blow up the boat, a statement in sharp contrast to the Indian government that maintains that the boat with ‘suspected terror links’ blew itself up under mysterious circumstances.
“Let me tell you, I hope you remember 31st December night… we blew off that Pakistan… We have blown them off… I was there at Gandhinagar and I told at night, blow the boat off. We don’t want to serve them biryani…,” the DIG coast guard can be heared saying at an event in a recorded video posted online by the newspaper.
I told blow the Pakistan boat off, Coast Guard DIG by usa1198
Later today, Loshali issued a rejoinder rejecting the report and denied making such claim.
“Whatever has been reported… is not factual and I do not subscribe to the text,” he said in a statement.
“I reiterate the boat set herself on fire and was not sunk by the Coast Guard,” he added.
Statement By Coast Guard DIG BK Loshali pic.twitter.com/pNFugyzBg2
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 18, 2015
I have been misquoted, the boat actually set itself on fire and sunk: Coastguard DIG BK Loshali pic.twitter.com/DxHELJC2Lu — ANI (@ANI_news) February 18, 2015
Defence Ministry sticks to what it said, if any channel said anything we will inquire into it: Manohar Parrikar on Pak terror boat — ANI (@ANI_news) February 18, 2015
There are 15-16 lakh servicemen in India, if someone makes an incorrect statement Govt is not responsible: Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 18, 2015
The Indian Defence Minstery had claimed that coast guard ships and aircraft had tried to intercept the boat near the maritime border with Pakistan, around 365 kilometres from the coastal state of Gujarat, following an intelligence tip-off on December 31.
“The Coast Guard ship warned the fishing boat to stop for further investigation of the crew and cargo; however, the boat increased speed and tried to escape away from the Indian side of maritime boundary. The hot pursuit continued for nearly one hour and the Coast Guard ship managed to stop the fishing boat after firing warning shots. Four persons were seen on the boat who disregarded all warnings by the Coast Guard ship to stop and cooperate with investigation,” read the official statement by the ministry.
“Soon thereafter, the crew hid themselves in below deck compartment and set the boat on fire, which resulted in explosion and major fire on the boat,” it added.
Soon after the Indian claims, new evidence beganto emerge that those on board might have been small-time liquor and diesel smugglers.
There were also reports of use of “disproportionate force” since the fishing boat did not have an engine capable of out-running Indian interceptors.
Indian media quoted Naval official as saying it was inconceivable that Pakistani fishing boats — typically four-crew vessels, with an average length of less than 25 metres and equipped with 80-220 horsepower diesel engines, or smaller mechanised sailboats with 30 horsepower engines — could outrun the Indian Coast Guard’s state-of-the-art ships.