Crewmen of a Russian vessel are suspected of attempted murder

Sri Lankan Coast Guard detained a Russian vessel which sailed off local port Panadura on Feb 10; the crewmen are suspected of attempted murder of their colleague, reported Sunday's  Maritime Bulletin – Sovfrakht not specifying the date of arrest. 

According to the source, bulker DD Vigor left the port of Panadura in the evening of Feb 10 and headed for Goa, India. There are 22 crew members on board, all are Russians. 

"A man fell overboard the bulker, but the vessel neither stopped nor tried to pick the sufferer up, and kept on moving. Motorboat of the Panadura port rescued the sailor; he needed medical aid. He is the bulker's second engineer. There is reason to suppose that he fell by no means accidentally but was thrown by his colleagues", reported the source. 

After that the ship was ordered to return back, although the bulker did not react and proceeded moving. Two Coast Guard boats were dispatched to intercept the bulker; finally, the ship was escorted back to the port of Panadura. The circumstances are being investigated. 

Bulker DD Vigor (IMO 8109034) was built in 1985; shipowner/operator is DD Shipping (Vladivostok). Deadweight is 42,069 tons; flag state is St. Vincent and the Grenadines.