Ship owners negotiate for crew release

MUMBAI: More than 20 days after a ship with Indian crew was hijacked, the Japanese owners are in advanced stage of negotiations for the early release of the crew.
       
"The owners confirmed that they are in advanced stage of negotiations with the hijackers for the early release of the crew," Directorate General of Shipping said in a release.       

The ship, MV Stolt Valor, with 22 crew was hijacked on September 15. Of the 22, 18 were Indians. The rest included a Bangladeshi, a Russian and two Phillipinos.
       
The ship was carrying oil products and was hijacked from the coast of Yemen. Its last port of call was Suez and next port was Mumbai.
       
The shipped is owned by Japanese, who are involved in advanced negotiations for the release of crew.
       
Meanwhile, the Japanese owners have said the crew was made to exaggerate about the situation by allowing them to call their families.
       
"On Thursday, the Stolt Valor's captain was able to communicate possibly without the knowledge of the pirates that the Somalis were controlling every word they spoke to their families and also deciding when the crew could call home," they said.
       
"They want the ransom to be paid at the earliest and so they are making the members exaggerate about the harships they are going through," they said.
       
Stolt Valor's Captain PK Goyal's wife plans to meet Prime Minister, President and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to seek intervention in the release of the crew.