Togo: Indian merchant ship captain, sailor freed

New Delhi:Indian merchant ship captain Sunil James who had stopped at Togo to report an attack on his ship MT Ocean Centurion by pirates and got arrested in African country of Togo on July 31, along with two other crew members, for allegedly aiding the pirates has been released along with another Indian sailor Vijayan, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday.

"The two Indian sailors will leave for India on Thursday" this is as per the tweet by

External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, who tweeted: "After meet between India's High Commissoner in Accra and President Gnassingbe of Togo, Captain Sunil James and Vijayan released. Now with High Commissioner K. Jeeva Sagar."

The sailor's wife, Aditi and other family members had requested the Indian government to intervene on the basis of the death of his 11-month-old son Vivaan who died Dec 2 of septicaemia in a Mumbai hospital so that he could return home for the last rites of the child.