Pak Boat row : Defence Ministry issues show-cause notice to Coast Guard DIG Loshali

19 Feb, New Delhi

Defence ministry has issued a show-cause notice to a senior officer of the Indian coast guard, DIG BK Loshali, for owning up to the responsibility of sinking a Pakistani boat with suspected terrorists on board on 31st of December last year.

The revelation left the Indian government red-faced, because it was claiming that the boat had exploded and sunken by itself. Official sources confirmed it and said that Loshali has been asked to file his reply within two days.

A story published in a leading English daily Wednesday has claimed DIG Loshali said at a function recently that it was in fact the Coast Guard which had blown up the Pakistani boat.

The DIG’s statement, as reported by the daily, had contradicted government’s claim that the suspected terrorists had set the boat on fire and blew themselves up after being challenged by the Coast Guard.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has Wednesday also denied Coast Guard DIG B K Loshali’s reported statement on blowing up the Pakistani suspect boat off the coast of Porbander.