Chennai: A projectile weighing around 100kg, minus its engine, was caught by a fisherman near Nellore and brought ashore, creating a buzz in the Kasimedu fishing community on Friday. The object was handed over to police for further examination, with suspicions that it may belong to a private aerospace company.
Police said Dineshkumar, a Kasimedu resident, owns the fishing trawler involved in the discovery. Last month, a group of fishermen, led by driver Venkatraman, put out to sea. “The team reached as far as Nizampattinam near Nellore to fish. They cast their net and waited. The fishermen noticed something unusually heavy in the net, assuming it was a good catch,” said Dineshkumar.
They hauled in the object, only to find a large projectile weighing close to 100kg. “The nets were damaged, and repairs will cost at least 30,000,” Dineshkumar said. The fishermen brought it back to Kasimedu. Police and fisheries officials inspected the find.
“It had barnacles on it, suggesting it may have been in the sea for about three months. There were markings and numbers on it, suggesting it belonged to a private defence and aerospace firm. We handed it over to the Fishing Harbour police,” said a fisheries department official.
A police officer from the Fishing Harbour station mentioned that the projectile likely fell into the sea during a test. The Marine Police alerted the navy and coast guard. “Some officers from the navy came to inspect it, but they confirmed it was not theirs,” the policeman added.
Meanwhile, a defence ministry source noted that the projectile lacked a guidance system, triggering mechanism, proximity fuse, or solid or liquid fuel. “A thorough investigation is needed to determine its exact nature.”
