Terror craft heads for Mahatma’s birthplace

The trawler,which till six days ago was in the custody of the Mumbai crime branch,was officially handed over to its owners,the Masani brothers,Vinod and Hiralal,on Sunday. While granting permission to hand the trawler back to the owners,the 37th Esplanade metropolitan court ruled that the boat cannot be sold or undergo major changes till the 26/11 trial.

MV Kuber might have to sail back to Mumbai as and when the court needs to see the boat during the trial. As of today,the owners had had to pay over Rs 3,000 as port charges for anchoring it at Mumbai Jetty at Malet Bunder.

A relative of the owners,Kanji Masani (56),an associate,Arvind Kodiya (58),and two fishermen are in Mumbai to take the trawler back to Porbandar.

“No one from our village was willing to come down to take Kuber back,as they feel it’s either cursed or haunted. We will be sleeping on the deck as it was beneath the deck that Amarsinh Solanki (skipper of the trawler) was slashed to death. The terrorists did not seem to have used guns as it would have attracted the attention of boats nearby,” says Masani.

“Most of the papers,including registration and port documents were dumped into the sea before the terrorists left,” said Masani,adding,“We are going to rely on tide details and an old,makeshift compass to sail to Porbandar.”

“The boat is lighter now,as many of the things have been taken as exhibits (for the trial). When we set sail,we will feel medieval as we have to rely on the run-down compass,the tide and the stars as all the other equipment are either damaged by terrorists or taken by the crime branch for the probe,” says Kodiya.

The crew plans to stock the trawler with most of the original items found on November 27 in Kuber including the fishing net and the utensils. “We have had our lunch in some of the same utensils which might have been used by those who came on November 26. According to court and crime branch orders,we can’t dispose of the utensils,” adds Masani.

Kuber was tracked down after Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab,the lone terrorist captured alive by the Mumbai police,told interrogators that a trawler with Porbandar registration was used by the terrorists. A coast guard Chetak chopper found Kuber drifting some 20 miles from the Mumbai coast,with the body of Solanki on board.