Pratibha Cauvery case: Two officials of local agent arrested

Sea World Shipping and Logistics Zonal Manager K Jayaraman and Operational Assistant Chitty Babu were arrested for allegedly not taking any steps when Carl Fernandes, captain of the Pratibha Cauvery, requested them to provide fuel to his ship, a police release said.

The duo were produced before Saidapet Court today which remanded them to judicial custody.

The ship which was in the waters off Chennai Port Trust was asked to be at the Outer Anchorage as cyclone Nilam was expected to cross the Chennai coast on October 31.

"Due to lack of fuel, the ship's captain had approached the agent to supply it, which was denied," the release said.

By this, the agent did not take any steps to safeguard the lives of the 37 sailors of the ship, out of which six died later.

The ship ran aground near the shores of the Marina hours before cyclone 'Nilam' crossed the Chennai coast.

A case had been filed against the agent at the Shastri Nagar Police Station here, it added.