1. The Orissa High Court has ordered the “arrest” of a foreign cargo ship due to unpaid berth hire charges at Paradip Port.
2. This legal action is based on admiralty law, which permits ships to be detained to enforce maritime claims.
3. These claims typically involve issues related to ship ownership, management, operation, or trading.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 25: The Orissa High Court has taken a decisive step by ordering the “arrest” of a foreign cargo ship over unpaid berth hire charges at the Paradip Port in the state.
This action stems from an admiralty law allowing ships to be detained for enforcing maritime claims related to ship ownership, management, or trading.
The Panama-registered ship, M V Debi, has been stationed at the port for nearly three months due to another case involving the seizure of several packets suspected to contain cocaine worth over ₹220 crore on December 1 last year.
Local authorities are conducting investigations under the NDPS Act and Customs Act regarding this matter.
The Paradip International Cargo Terminal Pvt Ltd (PICTPL), a concessionaire of the Paradip Port, initiated legal action by filing a claim suit against the ship.
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Seeking a decree for the ship’s arrest, PICTPL has asserted a maritime claim of ₹7.95 crore, covering berth hire charges, penal fees, legal expenses, and more.
Justice V Narasingh, presiding over a single-judge bench, noted that PICTPL has prima facie established the necessity of arresting the cargo ship to ensure the efficacy of the lawsuit.
Consequently, the court has scheduled further hearings for March 7 to address the matter comprehensively.
The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017 has conferred admiralty jurisdiction upon the Orissa High Court and seven other high courts in India, empowering them to adjudicate maritime disputes and enforce claims related to maritime activities.
