Black Rose Sinking: CBI affidavit reveals Odisha govt’s reluctance to hand over probe

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted an affidavit with the Orissa High Court on Tuesday in connection to the sensational MV Black Rose sinking case.

In the affidavit, the CBI revealed that following the Shipping Ministry’s recommendations, the CBI had sought permission from the Odisha government to probe the case twice. The first permission was sought through a letter in November 2019 and when the State government sat on the request, the CBI had sent a reminder after two months.

However, even after seeking permission twice, the Odisha government is yet to grant the CBI permission to probe the sinking of Mongolian cargo ship Black Rose off the coast of Paradip which might have international ramifications.

Sources said, the Advocate General of Odisha government had initially objected to the affidavit filing by the CBI. But the CBI anyways submitted the same stating the State government’s reluctance to provide permission to the central probe agency.

It is pertinent to mention here that a petition was also filed by an RTI activist Pradeep Pradhan seeking CBI probe into the case.

However, during the hearing, the Advocate General of the Odisha government raised several objections over Pradeep Pradhan himself. Odisha government argued that Pradhan has a malicious intent and he also has multiple criminal cases pending against him. So, the court asked Pradhan to file an affidavit on all the allegations against him.

On September 9, 2009, Mongolian vessel ‘MV Black Rose’ carrying a cargo of 23,847 metric tonnes of iron ore and 920 metric tonnes of furnace oil sank five kilometres off Paradip coast in Odisha under mysterious circumstances when it was on a chartered voyage to China.

Out of the 27 crew members present on board the cargo ship, 26 were rescued while the chief engineer of the vessel lost his life. The Opposition (political) parties in the State then alleged that the vessel was engaged in the illegal transportation of iron-ore and other minerals by forging documents. They also alleged that ‘Black Rose’ was used to bring iron ore for sponge (iron) plants belonging to some BJD leaders by forging documents.