'I love Pakistan' message found on ship brought to Cochin Shipyard; police launch probe

KOCHI: The Kochi City Police have started an investigation after the words “I love Pakistan” were found written on a ship brought to Cochin Shipyard for repair. The shipyard first conducted an internal inquiry and later handed over the information to the police. Although an FIR has not yet been registered, officials said a case is likely to be filed soon. In the first stage of the investigation, police will record statements from people who boarded the ship on the day of the incident. Permanent staff members and contract workers will be questioned separately.

Officials said a detailed investigation is being carried out due to the seriousness of the matter. Central agencies have also joined the probe. The writing was noticed on the ship about two weeks ago. Around 8,000 employees work at the shipyard. Authorities are checking who among them did not report for duty after the incident. Police are also comparing the case with earlier security investigations, including the 2019 incident at INS Vikrant, when hard disks were stolen during construction. More than 12 ships, including Navy vessels, are currently undergoing repair at the shipyard. It is not yet clear on which ship the message was written.