Under an admiralty law, a ship
can be arrested for the enforcement of maritime claims that arise out of the
ownership, construction, possession, management, operation, or trading of any
ship.
The Panama-registered ship, M V Debi, has been anchored at the port for
nearly three months in connection with another case. Several packets believed
to be filled with cocaine valued at over ₹220 crore were seized from it on
December 1 last year. An investigation is on by the local authorities under the
NDPS Act and Customs Act in this regard.
The Paradip International Cargo Terminal Pvt Ltd (PICTPL), a concessionaire
of the Paradip Port, has filed a claim suit against the ship and approached the
high court last month seeking a decree to arrest the ship. The PICTPL has made
a maritime claim of ₹7.95 crore on the cargo ship, which includes berth
hire charges, penal charges, legal costs and others.
The single judge bench of Justice V Narasingh observed that PICTPL has
been prima facie able to establish that the suit will be infructuous unless the
cargo ship is arrested. The court has
fixed March 7 for further hearing of the case. The Admiralty (Jurisdiction
and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017 conferred admiralty jurisdiction
to the Orissa High Court and seven other high courts of India. .