The port officials filed the FIR with the local police four months after they realised that the police verification documents of three Uttar Pradesh-based persons who had applied for SMCs, were forged.

According to the details of the case, Mandvi Port Officer Rajesh Damor, lodged an FIR with the Mandvi police in this regard on November 26 — the same day the terrorists attacked Mumbai.

Damor said the Mandvi Port Office has an authority to issue SMCs to people who want to venture out into the high seas or overseas in various vessels for employment. The three residents of Baliya district of UP — Sanjay Kamlaram Bhardwaj, Balkaran Mukhu Rajbhar and Hareram Mukhu Rajbhar — had sought similar SMCs from the port officials, said sources.

As per the procedure, the port officials sent the documents to the Uttar Pradesh Police for verification. In the second half of July 2008, the port officials received a set of documents from UP containing the forged letter of the Mandvi port officials. Moreover, it also contained the police verification report, which said that the three persons were history-sheeters.

Inspector S N Jhala said: “The case is an unsolved mystery. The document of the port office is forged and we are yet to verify with the UP

Police if the verification report is real.” He said they were planning to send a team to UP to check out the same.

When asked about the delay on the part of the port office in filing the complaint, Jhala said: “It surprises me also. Only the port officials can answer that.”

The police now plan to interrogate Hamid Ali Sodha, the owner of the vessel Al-Farooqi. Sodha had introduced the three UP residents to help them get the SMCs.

Mandvi Port Officer Damor said, “Here, I am the only one to look after several matters. And before lodging the complaint, I also have to apprise higher officials about the issue. This matter would have remained buried in files had I not lodged the complaint,” he said.

Principal Secretary, Ports, H K Dash refused to comment on the issue owing to his busy schedule.