Six Gujarat fishermen assaulted, robbed at sea

Six fishermen from Gujarat were allegedly assaulted and robbed of their netted fish and other equipment, worth around Rs 3.80 lakh, in the Arabian Sea off Jafrabad coast, police said today.
The incident took place on December 8, when a group of unidentified people came from Daman in around six fishing boats and thrashed the fishermen, who hail from Rajula in Amreli district in Gujarat, before fleeing with their belogings, police said.
Based on a complaint by one of the victims filed via post, a case was today registered at the Navi Bandar police station-- state's only Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) police station which register and investigate crimes committed between 12 nautical miles and 200 nautical miles in the sea.

"Six members of a fishing boat were approached by half a dozen fishing boats from Daman at a location around 63 nautical miles from Jafrabad coast. The Gujarat fishermen were beaten up and robbed of things that they were carrying in the boat," sub inspector of Navi Bandar police station, P D Makwana, said.
This is the first case of robbery in the sea filed with the EEZ police station at Navi bandar after it was notified in June this year, he said.
"According to the FIR lodged by one Sharman Shiyar, the robbers asked them why they were fishing in their area. Thereafter, they thrashed them and then looted their netted fish, GPS set, walkie-talkie, an anchor, a fishing net, rope, all worth around Rs 3.80 lakh," he said.

An investigation has been launched against unidentified fishermen after offences were registered under IPC sections 395 (dacoity), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), among others, Makwana said.
In June this year, the Centre issued a notification for setting up several other coastal police stations, including Navi Bandar for Gujarat to handle cases of offshore offences in the EEZ.