THOOTHUKUDI: After photos of submarine INS Sindhushashtra at the Thoothukudi VOC port were circulated on social media, leading to media speculation in Sri Lanka, it is learnt that the port authorities are attempting to track down the employee responsible for sharing the images.
The movements of naval submarines are tightly guarded information following national importance. While defense personnel in Eastern command remained tight-lipped about the vessel's presence in Thoothukudi, Sri Lankan and some vernacular media outlets here had published reports speculating the purpose of the vessel's visit to Thoothukudi, one of the southernmost ports of the country.
Meanwhile the local port authorities confirmed the presence of the submarine which is encapsulated with advanced technology. However, they were unaware of the purpose of its arrival to Thoothukudi port. "The vehicle reached the port on Sunday and the officials of the submarine made a courtesy call on the port chairman," said a senior official.
However, officials said that sharing of the photographs was considered a security breach and the employee responsible was being tracked down. "A number of employees and contract labourers work in the port berths, and some one might have taken a snap out of interest", said a senior port official, adding that the person will be inquired about.
Navy officials in Delhi neither confirmed nor denied the presence of the submarine at the Thoothukudi port. However, they said that warships had been visiting the port for years now. "To permanently base such a submarine at any port would require major infrastructure and posting of personnel," an official said, in response to the speculative reports in Sri Lankan media that the vessel would be permanently stationed at Thoothukudi.
(With inputs from New Delhi)