Mumbai: A 16-metre-long yacht owned by an Australian woman drifted to Raigad coast near Mumbai, officials said on Thursday, but ruled out a terror angle after three AK-47 rifles were found aboard.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, informed the State Assembly that the vessel owner is an Australian woman whose husband was its captain.
“As of now, there is no terror angle. But investigation is going on. We can’t rule out any angle as of now. I am just sharing primary information, he added.
Local police and the Anti-terror Squad are investigating the matter, he added.
The yacht, which is four metres wide, was on way to Europe from Muscat in June when it drifted to inclement weather, he said. The Australian couple abandoned it after engine trouble, he added.
Prima facie, there is no terror angle, but it is unclear why it was carrying arms, Fadnavis said, after Raigad legislator Aditi Tatkare sought a probe into the…