Noojady Nithynanda Shetty
Couple Overboard On Cruise
April 13, 2009
Noojady NIthynanda Shetty
Date: April 13, 2009
Bruise: Overboard
Bruise Location: Pulau Kendi
Age: 49
Home Town: India
Cruise Line: Star Cruises
Ship: SuperStar Virgo
Details:
Mr. Pranhakar Shetty, a cousin of the missing Nithyananda said Kasturi was a good swimmer and had dived into the sea to save her husband.
"She is a good swimmer, but her husband is not. That is why she risked her life to save him," he said yesterday at the hospital where Shetty is being treated.
Kasturi Nithyanda Shetty, 47, has been admitted to a Gleneagles Hospital in stable condition.
Rescue efforts by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Marine Operations Force are still underway for Noojady NIthynanda Shetty.
Marine Operations Force Region I commander Asst Comm Zainul Abidin Hasan said they received a call at 1020 hours and an eight-man rescue team was immediately sent to the scene.
“The state Fire and Rescue Department and Marine Department are also helping in the rescue work.
SuperStar Virgo sails out of Singapore and has 902 cabins with a capacity of 1,804 passengers.
The ship was sailing from Singapore on a 5-night cruise, sailing through the Strait Of Malacca to Langkawi Island, then to Phuket Island in Thailand.
Nityanand Shetty was the son of Noojady Heriyanna Shetty and Girijamma Shetty. Those who knew him said that he had spent lot of money on his own for providing public conveniences, power, school, religious centers etc., in his village.
Update: May 7, 2009
Girijamma Shetty says that she suspects her wealthy son was murdered for financial gain while aboard the Star Cruises's voyage.
Nityananda Shetty’s body was found washed ashore about two weeks later, about 200 kms away from the spot where the incident too place.
While his funeral was conducted in Malaysia and ashes spread, Shetty's wife who jumped into the sea after Nityananda went in did not attend the services and Nityananda's mother said that no proper explanations were coming forth from the family about the accident.
In her complaint, Girijamma Shetty says that Prabhakar Shetty, who was accompanying her son in the Star Cruise voyage, has informed her that her son died due to drowning in the sea in Malaysia.
"No one is coming out with concrete facts of his death. No one is confirming as to whether it was it an accidental fall, did he commit suicide by jumping into the sea or was it a purposeful murder. I have suspicion that elder daughter of my son, Raksha N Shetty, might have played a role in his death," Girijamma Shetty said.
Girijamma Shetty added that her grand daughter is an alleged drug-addict and is in bad company, which strengthens the doubts about her involvement in her father's death. "To meet the need for huge amount of money, she might have killed my son, who owned assets worth crores of rupees," Girijamma added.
The elder Mrs. Shetty has requested the Gangolly station house officer to conduct thorough investigation and bring out the truth, family sources said, complaints will also made to the heads of the district and state police department and the Human Rights Commission.
A man and his wife went overboard on the SuperStar Virgo went missing about 15 nautical miles south of Pulau Kendi in Malaysia.
The pair of passengers were Noojady Nithynanda Shetty, 49 and his wife Kasturi Nithyanda Shetty, 47 both of India.
Reports say after Mr. Shetty fell overboard, his wife jumped in after he fell in an effort to rescue him while the ship was in the Strait Of Malacca.
