RAJKOT: The world's biggest ship
dismantling yard - Alang - is reeling under fear. Already battling rampant
thefts on board the vessels from local pirates, ship-breakers are now alleging
threat to their lives.
On Thursday, president of Ship
Recycling Industries Association (India) V K Gupta was allegedly threatened of
dire consequences by a one person who intercepted his car when he was on his
way to Alang from Bhavnagar.
According to Alang police station
officials, Gupta was intercepted by one Vanrajsinh Gohil near Kathva village on
Thursday and he threatened him.
On September 30, too, another shipbreaker
in Sosiya yard Ramesh Agrawal was allegedly threatened by Gohil and a police
complaint was lodged on Thursday. Alang police inspector P R Desai told TOI
that they have lodged an FIR against Gohil. Local Crime Branch officials have
fanned out across the villages near Alang to nab Gohil.
On Friday, a group of shipbreakers on
Friday met district collector V P Patel and senior police officials to demand
for more safety measures in wake of such incidents. Shipbreakers have demanded
State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) for their protection.
"The goons and thieves have gone
a step further and are now threatening shipbreakers," joint secretary of
the association Nikhil Gupta said.
Alang has been witnessing frequent
cases of thefts where miscreants, mostly from nearby villages, use small boats
and board the ships to steal whatever they can lay their hands on. They also
threaten security guards at the shipbreaking plots if stopped. The thieves are
suspected to be coming from villages like Sartanpar, Bharapara, Mathavda and
Mithivirdi and mostly strike at midnight. According to police records, there
were 17 thefts reported in Alang in 2010, which increased to 24 in 2011.
On June 28, a 45-year-old watchman
Sitaram Devmurari was murdered at one of the plots. In fact, Devmurari used to
charge money from thieves to let them enter other plots and steal.
"We have arrested the three
persons in this case. Devmurari has huge chunk of ancestral land in Alang from
where accused used to go for thefts," investigating officer at Alang
police station S V Acharya said.
"The actual numbers of thefts in
shipbreaking yards are much higher than what have registered at police station.
This is a serious issue. In our meeting with police, we told them about various
kinds of theft issue. Also, there is strong nexus between thieves and
purchasers of stolen material in Alang itself,'' a shipbreaker on the condition
of anonymity said.
Source: Times of India. 6 October 2012
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-06/rajkot/34292845_1_ship-breakers-alang-sosiya
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