Official's statement on Pakistan boat to be probed: Parrikar

Bengaluru, Feb 18: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Wednesday said that he will enquire into a Coast Guard official saying he ordered a Pakistani boat be blown up.

"I will enquire...I will go through the video," said Parrikar referring to a video on the Indian Express website which shows Coast Guard Deputy Inspector General (DIG) B.K. Loshali saying he ordered the blowing up of a suspected Pakistani boat on the intervening night of Dec 31 and Jan 1 off Porbandar in Gujarat.

Parrikar told reporters here that he will take a look at the controversial video and then "take action if required".

"You have to understand my position. There are 15-16 lakh service personnel, if someone makes a statement which is factually incorrect I will take action after enquiring into it."

The defence minister said "I will release evidence" of the incident.

The suspicious boat was intercepted by the Coast Guard based on an intelligence input Dec 31, and it was traced in the Arabian Sea, 365 km off Porbandar in Gujarat.

The dramatic incident was a reminder of the manner Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai in 2008.

The vessel, which had set off from near Karachi on New Year's Eve, turned into a ball of fire and sank after its occupants, believed to be four in number, set fire to it early Jan 1.

IANS