3 min readJul 6, 2026 09:21 PM IST
First published on: Jul 6, 2026 at 09:21 PM IST
As many as 43 Somali pirates, arrested in 2024 in two separate cases and lodged in a Mumbai jail, have sought to plead guilty. In their pleas filed before the special court, the men said that they are languishing in judicial custody for two years and are facing severe hardships in prison due to the difference in their language, culture, diet and lifestyle and also lack of any family or friends to guide them.
They have said that their decision to plead guilty is voluntary. The pleas further stated that while they are aware that the maximum punishment can be given to them by the court, they hope for leniency from the judiciary and the Indian government as it is their first offence.
“…and we are poor citizens of an ally country with good diplomatic relations with the Government of India,” the pleas state.
Nine of the men were arrested after an operation by the Indian Navy in March 2024 after intercepting an Iranian fishing vessel, which had a 23-member Pakistani crew, which was allegedly hijacked by the pirates.
In the same month, in another operation, the Navy had apprehended 35 pirates, who had allegedly hijacked a merchant vessel. The men were brought to Mumbai and arrested by the Yellow Gate police station. One accused in the second case has not signed the plea to plead guilty.
Special public prosecutor Ranjeet Sangle confirmed that the pleas were filed. The court has given them the opportunity to think over their applications and has adjourned the case till July 20. If the court accepts their pleas, it can sentence them to punishment as per the charges they have been booked under.
While they were represented by a lawyer through the Embassy of Somalia, the men told court that they do not have a lawyer, after which they were directed to be represented by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Defense Counsel System (LADCS).
Lawyer Vishwajeet Singh, who represented the men through the Embassy said, “If they have filed such an application, it is not after any legal advice sought from me. This is not an informed legal decision.”
The men face charges including kidnapping, abducting for ransom, criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, among other charges.
The maximum punishment the pirates will face is life imprisonment for charges including kidnapping for ransom. The court, however, can decide on the punishment based on its discretion, the gravity of the crime, and the charges against them, as they have themselves sought to accept their guilt without undergoing a criminal trial.
The men face charges including kidnapping, abducting for ransom, criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, among other charges. (PTI File photo) 
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