Madras High Court reserves order on bail plea of US ship crew

MADURAI: Madras High Court Bench reserved orders on the bail petitions of crew members of a US ship, arrested on charge of illegally carrying weapons on board the vessel and straying into Indian waters.

Justice M Sathyanarayanan reserved orders after hearing arguments from the petitioners and the government side.

NR Elango, senior Counsel for AdvanFort, the firm which owns the detained ship MV Seaman Guard Ohio, rejected the charge that the anti-piracy vessel violated Indian maritime boundary and alleged it was 'lured into the Tuticorin port by treachery' on October 12.

The 33 crew members, arrested and currently under judicial custody for about 40 days, did not have the contact, resource or clout to influence the prosecution witnesses who are officials of government agencies, Elango submitted while responding to public prosecutor opposing granting of bail.

The ship was 19 nautical miles away from the sea coast and even if it was in Indian waters, the Tamil Nadu police had no jurisdiction to register FIR and file a case, he contended.

The Government advocate said three persons were yet to be arrested. The investigation that was in crucial stage and was expected to be completed in a week time.