20 July,2026 06:10 PM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya Iyer
Following an anti-piracy operation, the Navy rescued all the hostages, apprehended the accused, and handed them over to the Yellow Gate Police in Mumbai. FILE PIC
A sessions court in Mumbai on Monday convicted all nine Somali nationals in the Al Kambar 786 piracy case and sentenced them to life imprisonment for hijacking the Iranian fishing vessel and holding its crew hostage. The court also awarded them 10 years' rigorous imprisonment under the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, seven years under the Arms Act, two years each under the Passport Act and the Foreigners Act, and imposed fines of Rs 10,000 each under Section 364A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Explosive Substances Act.
The court directed that all the sentences would run concurrently. It further ordered that the period the accused have spent in judicial custody since March 3, 2024, be set off against their sentence under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The nine Somali nationals were arrested by the Indian Navy in March 2024 after they allegedly hijacked the Iranian fishing vessel Al Kambar 786 in the Arabian Sea with 23 Pakistani crew members on board.
Following the anti-piracy operation, the Navy rescued all the hostages, apprehended the accused, and handed them over to the Yellow Gate Police.
The police subsequently registered a case under the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), Section 364A of the IPC, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act, the Passport Act, the Foreigners Act, and other applicable provisions. After completing the investigation, the police filed a charge sheet before the sessions court.
During the trial, all nine accused pleaded guilty after the court satisfied itself that their plea was voluntary and that they understood its legal consequences.
