The Indian sailors were on the way to Mumbai, it said. NUSI Chairman Abdul Gani said, "There is no major medical problem (among the sailors)."

He refused to go into details about the release but said, "Definitely ransom has been paid but we will not be able to go into details of the amount."

Gani also thanked the Indian Navy and said, "We appreciate the efforts of the Indian Navy. Definitely it (ship) would be escorted out safely from the danger zone."

Seema Goel, wife of Capt of the ship Prabhat Goel, said, "I got an official information from DG shipping that the ship has been released by the hijackers today.

"They will be reaching India in another four-five days," she said.

Asked whether any ransom was paid for the release, Goel said she had no information how the release was secured.

The cargo ship, owned by a Japanese company and managed by Fleet Marine Ltd in Mumbai, was hijacked by the armed Somali pirates on September 15. The hijackers had demanded a ransom of USD six million for the release of the crew and later had brought the amount down to USD 2.5 million.

Gani said, "I will not go into the details of the amount but definitely the entire exercise has been big business for Somali pirates and definitely the ransom has been paid but we will not be able to go into details of the amount."

Reacting to the development, a relieved Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu said that he had requested Defence Minister A K Antony and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to extend help in getting the sailors in the hijacked ship released.

He said the Indian Navy has sent a warship to the area in the Gulf of Aden where the ship had been hijacked.

Observing that efforts should be made to ensure that such incidents do not recur, Baalu said, "There was no government (in Somalia). Had there been one, we could have opened diplomatic channel to solve this issue. Everyone had come in handy to see that the vessel was freed from the pirates".

Agonising two-month wait ends for families of sailors

Seema Goyal can't stop hugging her three children since she heard that her husband Captain Prabhat Kumar Goyal and 17 sailors aboard hijacked ship M T Stolt Valor have been released by Somali pirates, ending the agonising two-month wait of their families.

"I don't know what to say. This is happiest news of my life," said Seema as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Celebrations erupted at the Goyal household as neighbours joined Prabhat's parents, spouse and children after they heard the news of his release. The family distributed sweets.

"We are very very happy," an emotional R K Goyal, a retired college teacher, said on the release of his son as Prabhat's mother Vimlesh received relatives.

For the past one month, there has been no contact between Goyal and his family which resides at Dehra Dun's posh Teg Bahadur Road locality. The last time Goyal had rang up on Oct 15.

However, the Goyal family refused to speak on whether any ransom was paid. "We are just hoping to travel to Mumbai to receive him soon," Seema said "they will be reaching India in another four-five days".

Like Seema, who ran from pillar to post to secure the release of her husband, the ordeal for Mumbai-based Rosary Fernando, whose brother-in-law Panirayan Lobo was on the ship, has finally ended.

While Seema travelled to Delhi and Mumbai umpteen times and met several union ministers including Shipping Minister T R Balu, Rosary regularly visited the offices of the Directorate General of Shipping and the National Union of Seafarers of India for any information.

"There will be a celebration after he returns," Rosary said.

Wiper Dipak Kumar Tandel's family, which lives in Valsad in Gujarat, has already made plans to get him married.

"We were going to find a bride for him when he returns," said a relieved family member.

"We last spoke to Dipak when the ship was in the Suez Canal. After that, we haven't heard his voice," he said.