Casino vessel will not enter Mandovi before rains: Cruise company to Bombay HC

Panaji: M/s Delta Pleasures Cruise Company Pvt Ltd on Monday told the Bombay high court that its new 2,000-capacity casino vessel will not be able to enter the Mandovi before the monsoons.

Senior counsel Darius Khambata, representing the casino company, said in view of certain developments where some permissions have been withdrawn, it has to do further compliance and will not be able to move the ship into the Mandovi before the monsoons. He told the court that it has arranged for a temporary berth at the Mormugao port.

The high court is hearing a PIL by citizens under the association Enough is Enough and others challenging permissions to the company to replace its 70-passenger casino vessel with a 2,000-capacity casino vessel in the Mandovi.

At the last hearing last week, the high court observed that the certificate of survey of the vessel, certifying its seaworthiness and fitness to ply as well as registration of the vessel under either the Inland Vessels Act, 2021, or the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, was not placed on record and directed the documents to be placed on record under affidavit.

The high court also directed the state to respond to the petition on affidavit.

The casino company last month told the court that the new vessel is already en route to Goa and will have to come in prior to mid-May, after which the waters will be too rough. The state had said that the PIL was filed on the eve of the monsoons when the vessel was due to enter the Mandovi.

The high court will hear the PIL on Wednesday.
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