Port Blair, Jan. 17: Many letters had been written to various leaders, heads of A&N Administration to trace back the ill fated crew of MV Vasanta. In reply to the efforts under the leadership of Shri  R Mohan, State President BJP, the Govt. of India responded that Myanmar Govt. has been denying to have any knowledge of the said vessel. A letter from the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Mullappally Ramachandran reads:

"Our Embassy in Myanmar has informed that the case of the missing vessel MV Vasanta had been taken up with the Govt. of Myanmar on 15-9-99 and a reply had been received on 24-9-99 from the Myanmar Govt. stating that the said vessel had not reached Myanmar territorial water. Subsequently, the case had been again taken up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Govt. of Myanmar on three occasions during the year 2000 and a similar negative reply had been received on 10-5-2000.

As the CBI had investigated the case, the Ministry had advised the Mission to request the Myanmar Govt. to re-investigate the case. The Myanmar Govt. was again approached, which replied on 14-7-2003 that the case had been re-investigated and according to the records no personnel of the said vessel had been detained in Myanmar. The matter had been again taken up with the Myanmar Govt. on 20 - 4  -2005 and 28  -7 - 2005, for taking up the case de nova following directions from the Hon’ble High Court of Kolkata.

The Myanmar Govt. was reminded on 6- 10 -2005 to which they responded on 14 – 10 - 2005 reiterating their earlier stand that there was no record on confiscation of the said vessel or detention of the crew. The matter was again taken up with the Myanmar Government on 7  -8  -09 with a reminder on 24 – 11 - 09. The Government of Myanmar replied on 8  -12  -09 that the said vessel had not got drifted into Myanmar territorial water. This was intimated to the CBI on 11  -12  -09. The response of the Govt. of Myanmar has repeatedly been the same.

Therefore, in the absence of any new fact that could be presented to them, it appears unlikely that their response would be different.

On receipt of this letter by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Mullappally Ramachandran the State President BJP Shri R Mohan has again written back to the Minister of State for Home affairs expressing his utmost surprise as to how a vessel can vanished on the way to Hutbay. He has requested for all possible searches and to provide financial help to the family members of the said illfated vessel.