Bulgarian Sailors Kept Hostages in India over Shady Deal - Report

Thirteen Bulgarian sailors are being kept locked in an Indian hotel after the owner of their ship failed to reach an agreement with a local businessman in what has been described as a dubious deal, reports say.

The crew aboard Ludogorets ship has spent three days already in the hotel, which they are banned to leave, private TV channel bTV reported.

According to the report the sailors are not allowed to phone their relatives in Bulgaria. Three of them have fallen ill.

The sailors were arrested at an Indian port, where the ship was to be sold for scrap. According to the crew members they are being kept hostages over the unsettled scores between the ship's owner and an Indian businessman.

The manager of the company, which sells the ship, was not approachable by phone.

This is the second time that the ship enters the news over the last several months. In June the sailors approached the authorities, complaining of the miserable conditions aboard the ship, which led to the death of two of them in August.

According to the sailors the owner of the ship owes them unpaid salaries worth tens of thousands of dollars.

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