Kumta: Family members of fishermen who went missing in Suvarna Tribhuja boat and various fishermen unions held a meeting at Kumta on Tuesday and expressed doubt over the Indian Navy’s account of the tracing of the boat. They are now demanding removal of the wreckage of drowned boat from the sea.

Seven fishermen, including five from Uttara Kannada, ventured into deep sea fishing in Suvarna Tribhuja boat from Malpe harbour on December 13, 2018. The boat went missing off Malvan coast in Maharashtra two days later. On May 1, 2019, an Indian naval ship found the wreckage of the missing boat. Till date there is no trace of the missing fishermen.

Ganapati Mangre, president of Uttara Kannada Fishermen’s Union, said if the boat was sunk five months ago, algaes would have grown in the wreckage of it. But, no such things are seen in pictures. Therefore, the Navy should take action to remove the wreckage. He said fishermen families and various unions will meet Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police in Karwar urging them to remove the wreckage of the boat from the sea and investigate into the case to find out the reason for the incident.