Kerala HC orders detention of Russian cargo ship in Cochin port

The Kerala high court has ordered the detention of a Russian ship at the Cochin port after an admiralty suit was filed by an Estonian shore service company, Bunker Partner OU.

Justice Sathish Ninan on July 18 ordered the deputy conservator of ports at the Cochin Port Trust to execute the warrant and effect the arrest, seizure and detention of the vessel, MV MAIA-1, along with its hull, tackle, engines, machinery, boards, bunkers, equipment, peripherals and other appurtenances.

The suit was filed seeking a decree for a sum of USD 23,503.14 with an interest @0.1 per cent per day for the value of bunkers supplied by the Estonian company to the ship.

"On going through the averments in the plaint and also the affidavit filed in support of the application, I am satisfied that a prima facie case warranting an ex-parte order of arrest has been made out. Accordingly, a conditional order of arrest is issued," the court said in its order.

The court said the vessel MV MAIA-1 needs to either deposit an amount of USD 23,503.14, which is equivalent to approx Rs 18,68,499.63, due to the plaintiff or furnish a security for the said amount to the satisfaction of the court.

The court also directed the Estonian company to furnish a counter security for an amount of Rs 5,00,000 within a period of two weeks.

Earlier in the day, the Russian embassy had taken up with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) the detention of the Russian cargo ship at Cochin port and requested for an "explanation" of the circumstances of the incident.

The embassy said this on Tuesday in response to media queries on the matter.

There was no immediate comment on the issue by the MEA.

"The Russian embassy in India is aware of the Russian cargo ship detention in the Indian port of Cochin, on board of which a military cargo for the Indian armed forces was delivered," it said.