Udupi, May 03, 2019: Former Udupi MLA and former minister Pramod Madhwaraj has alleged that a ship of the Indian Navy had collided against the Suvarna Tribhuja Fishing boat from Malpe thereby being responsible for the death of seven fishermen on board. He has also demanded a high level enquiry by a retired Supreme Court judge.
Pramod was speaking to reporters while waiting to meet Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy who is undergoing Ayurvedic treatment at a private resort at Muloor.
He said he has been saying as above even earlier and was reiterating the same even now and added that the truth should come out through a judicial probe.
He said the wreckage of the fishing boat which had gone missing four and a half months ago has been traced now all of a sudden. He also recalled his earlier allegation that INS Cochin had rammed into the Suvarna Tribuja. He said there was no way that a fishing boat could capsize in the sea in the absence of strong winds and added that the Navy should be held responsible for the death of the seven fishermen.
He also expressed suspicion as to how the wreckage of the fishing boat was found now, that too after the Lok Sabha elections are over and after a local BJP MLA took the fishermen families there.
He further demanded a minimum compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of each of the fishermen.