Indian Cook Among Five Killed on Hijacked Tanker Off Somalia; Family Begs for Repatriation

The family of an Indian seafarer killed aboard a hijacked fuel tanker off the coast of Somalia is appealing to New Delhi for the urgent repatriation of his remains, as questions mount over the circumstances of his death.

Mohammed Tanweeruz Zaman, a cook from Kolkata, was one of five crew members killed aboard the Palau-flagged MT Honour 25. The vessel was seized by pirates on April 21 off the northeastern Puntland region while transporting approximately 18,500 barrels of oil bound for Mogadishu. Seventeen crew members were aboard at the time of the hijacking.

Puntland Maritime Police Forces intercepted the tanker on Tuesday. In a statement, they asserted that pirates executed five hostages—three Pakistani nationals, one Myanmar national, and Zaman—before government forces launched their rescue operation.

However, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), which is assisting Zaman’s family, has called for a thorough investigation to verify the timeline. FSUI Secretary-General Manoj Yadav told Arab News that the family received photographs of Zaman’s remains on Wednesday. In a video shared by the union, Zaman’s mother and relatives pleaded tearfully for the return of his body.

“Please bring him back,” his mother said. “No matter how, please bring his body. We have already been in distress for the last five months. We want his body anyway. We are really in deep distress.”

Yadav noted that Zaman was the sole Indian national on the crew manifest. He highlighted that cooks are often allowed relative freedom of movement during hijackings to prepare meals for both crew and captors, raising questions about the specific circumstances leading to Zaman’s death.

“What made them kill this person … needs to be clarified,” Yadav said. “While Puntland authorities have told the media that the sailors were killed before their rescue operation, it needs to be established whether that indeed happened earlier or during the exchange of fire.”

The FSUI continues to coordinate with authorities and remains with the family in Kolkata as they await further information and the repatriation process.

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