’Please save my brother from the hijackers’

Sister of Anupam Bhattacharji, whose ship was hijacked by Somalian pirates, appeals to the government for his release

'Please save my brother from the hijackers'

Sister of Anupam Bhattacharji, whose ship was hijacked by Somalian pirates, appeals to the government for his releaseu00a0u00a0

"Please help my brother. His life is in danger. I am very disturbed that the government is not doing anything to secure his release from the hijackers," says Anuroma Bhattacharji whoseu00a0 brother Anupam Bhattacharji, is a young second officer on merchant vessel MT Sea Princess II, an oil tanker, that was hijacked by Somalian pirates in the Gulf of Aden on January 2.

u00a0"We are afraid of involving the Navy directly, as they feel the only way to deal with the hijackers isu00a0 to blow up the ship, which may harm the hijacked persons."

Little help
Echoing similar sentiments, her motheru00a0 Ruma says, "I want to see my son and others on board alive. Unfortunately, the government is doing precious little to help us."

Ruma, who lives in Dehradun, is visiting Anuroma in Pune. Anupam's father is a senior military officer in the Army.

The pirates had earlier asked for a ransom of three million dollars from the Yemen-based Overseas Shipping Company, which was later revised to 1.5 million dollars. "We spoke to Anupam twiceu00a0once on January 9,u00a0 when he told my mother that the ship had been hijacked, and on the second occasion on January 15. Iu00a0 could speaku00a0 to him just a for few seconds. He sounded terribly frustrated. We have no news of him since then,"u00a0 said Anuroma.

Anuroma said they also met the director general ofu00a0 Shipping Corporation in Mumbai who has promised to do his best.

Ruma, meanwhile, can do little beyond visiting religious shrines, including Haji Ali in Mumbai and Sai Baba temple in Shirdi to pray for the safe release of her son.