'Cuts, bruises and black spots': Family questions death of Indian sailor after 5 months in pirate captivity | Exclusive

For nearly five months, the family of Indian seaman Mohammed Tanweeruz Zaman lived in limbo, going from office to office and contacting every authority they could think of in a desperate bid for his release after he was captured aboard the MT Honor 25.

But when they were told that Zaman had been killed during the rescue operation, their ordeal took a darker turn. The family says the injuries they saw on his body cast serious doubt on the official account of his death and led them to believe he may have been tortured in captivity.

“We felt that he was held captive and tortured. To us, it did not appear that the injuries were the result of crossfire or a rescue operation,” Zaman’s nephew Raja Altaj Khan told LiveMint in an exclusive interview.

Zaman, the sole breadwinner for his family, was working aboard a fuel tanker when it was hijacked off the coast of Somalia on April 21, according to Khan.

After the vessel was impounded, Zaman managed to access the phone and contacted his family, Khan said.

“After a few days, the pirates gave him access to his phone so he could call his family and inform them that the ship had been hijacked. They wanted the kidnapped crew members to pass on the information to their families and the authorities,” Khan said.

Indian seaman Mohammed Tanweeruz Zaman(LiveMint.)

The family said they immediately contacted the shipping company and authorities, including DG Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

“After that, we started communicating with the pirates. They gave us instructions and made demands. During the negotiations, they initially demanded $7 million,” Khan said.

According to Khan, the ransom demand was eventually reduced to $1 million after months of negotiations.

“Negotiations had already been going on for about five months. The owner of the ship was Somali and he told us that he was trying to negotiate with the pirates. In the end, the ransom demand dropped to $1 million,” he said.

The family says the company ultimately failed to pay the $1 million ransom.

Khan said ITF Europe advised the family that negotiations should be conducted by experienced negotiators and competent authorities.

“But the owner of the ship said they will deal with it themselves,” Khan said.

Months of uncertainty

For months, the family had little information about Zaman’s condition or whereabouts.

“There were always delays in receiving information. It took a long time for us to get updates. All this was extremely shocking and disturbing for our family,” Khan said.

The family has also approached various authorities including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking Zaman’s release.

“We pleaded for Zaman’s release. We approached various authorities and authorities but got no response. The only response we received was from Lok Bhavan (West Bengal), which told us that our representation has been forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs,” Khan said.

Then in September, the family received word that Zaman had been killed.

Khan said his last conversation with the ship’s captain was on September 16. The family continued to receive updates through the captain’s wife.

“On September 29, I received a call from the captain’s wife, who has been giving us updates from time to time. She told me that a rescue team had reached the ship and that five people had died. Zaman was the only Indian among them,” he said.

“The news was extremely disturbing for my mother, who is Zaman’s sister. I immediately made a video call to the captain. During the call, he told me that Zaman had been killed,” Khan said.

According to Khan, the family was told that a pirate had opened fire during the rescue operation.

“He told us that when the rescue operation was going on, everyone was on board. When we asked how Zaman died, he said that one of the pirates suddenly started firing at the people and Zaman was killed,” Khan said.

“We asked for confirmation and we asked for photos and videos because we wanted to be absolutely sure it was Zaman,” Khan said.

The captain eventually showed Zaman to the family during a video call, Khan said.

“The captain sent us photos. We initially thought they might be AI-made, given how advanced AI has become. After repeated requests, the captain showed us Zaman on a video call. He pointed out an injury on his right arm and showed us what appeared to be a gunshot wound,” Khan said.

The sailors, including Indian seaman Mohammed Tanweeruz Zaman, were held captive on board the MT Honor 25 after the vessel was hijacked off Somalia.(LiveMint)

Family issues intersect with the bill

What the family saw in the photos and video deepened their doubts about how Zaman died.

“After watching the video, we felt that he was being held captive and tortured. To us, it did not appear that the injuries were the result of crossfire or a rescue operation,” Khan said.

“On the video, we could see serious injuries on his hand and leg. There were other wounds, bruises and black marks on his body,” he added.

LiveMint reviewed the photos and videos shared with the family. The material shows multiple visible injuries on Zaman’s body, including wounds and extensive marks on his hands and feet.

The family said they subsequently asked Indian authorities for answers.

“After seeing the photos and videos, we approached the embassy but were told they had no information about what had happened. Then we went from office to office – from the shipping company to DG Transport – trying to get some confirmation,” Khan said.

After Zaman’s death, the family’s demands changed. They just want to bring his body back to India.

“After his killing, we kept going around various authorities because we wanted to bring his body back. Even now we have not received any clear assurance from the government or the authorities. We have not received any information from the ministry. Nothing,” Khan said.

“Now we are simply asking the authorities to bring his body back to us. We want him to be handed over to his family. When he was alive, nobody could bring him back. We don’t know whose fault it was, but our request now is very simple – please bring him home,” he said.

“He was an Indian citizen and we believe the authorities have a duty to help us bring him back. We are asking everyone for help,” Khan added.

The MT Honor 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying about 18,500 barrels of oil, was hijacked on April 21 off Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region, according to media reports.

The Puntland Maritime Police later regained control of the vessel and reportedly detained 16 suspected piracy suspects.

Zaman was among the people killed during the incident.