November 05, 2024 17:56 (IST)
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Sushma Swaraj meets families of Indian sailors jailed in Nigeria, assures action
New Delhi, Aug 19 (IBNS): The family members of 11 Indian sailors who are lodged in Nigerian jail for past one year, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday at her office in New Delhi.
Demanding a positive step to bring back the jailed sailors safely, their family members were on a dharna for hours in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Tuesday.
Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M) Rajya Sabha member Ritabrata Banerjee, who wrote a letter to Sushma Swaraj earlier on Aug 11 urging to ensure the return of the sailors, took the family members to Sushma Swaraj's office.
Sushma Swaraj informed them that Indian government had asked for all reports regarding this case from the Indian Mission in Nigeria's Abuja.
She said that the Indian embassy in Nigeria was observing the matter and also providing necessary money to the sailors for their expenses in jail.
Swaraj has told the family members that the government is also seeking legal help to the sailors to fight their cases in the Nigerian court.
She also assured their families to help them in all possible ways to bring the sailors back to India.
After getting assurance from the External affairs minister, the family members called off their dharna.
According to reports, 11 Indian sailors were in cargo vessel MT Maro which was forced to anchor in the Port of Brass in Nigeria for technical problems. On July 24 last year, the sailors were arrested by the Nigerian Navy and then handed over to the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria.
Since then, they are in Nigerian jail.
After meeting Sushma Swaraj, jailed sailor Jogesh Chandra Das's wife Soma Das, who hail from Kolkata, told IBNS: "Since last year, we are requesting to take necessary steps to bring my husband back. I was moving from door to door of the government. Today, after getting Sushma Ji's assurance, I am hoping that my husband and other jailed
sailors will come India back very soon. Want to give thanks to CPI-M MP Ritabrata Banerjee for conveying our messages to External Aaffairs Minister."
Ritabrata Banerjee said, "Want to say thanks to Sushma Swaraj for taking such positive steps quickly. Hope the sailors will be released very soon."
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
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