Alleged Somalian pirates have set a ransom of $400,000 to release Indian cargo ship Bhaktisagar and its 21-man crew.

The cargo ship, which left Porbandar early February, was scheduled to reach Mogadishu in Somalia by February third week, but nothing was heard from it since then till its owner Udaybhai Natwarbhai Bhabha received an e-mail message from Somalia asking for the ransom money.

When contacted, Bhabha told UNI Tuesday that the identity of pirates or the senders of e-mail was not known so far.

He said he had informed the police and other law enforcement agencies in Delhi and has sought the assistance of other agencies too. He has intimated his associates in Dubai to help locate the ship.

Bhabha has not heard a word from the ship's captain Abdul Razaq or any of the 20 crew members.

The ship, belonging to Keyur Shipping Company, was carrying 15,000 bags of rice, 16,000 bags of cement and 5,600 bags of glucose, worth Rs 10000000. It was registered at Veraval.