Bombay HC seeks Indian Coast Guard, state reply on 3 vessels seized for ‘illegal acts’

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has sought replies of the Indian Coast Guard and the state on petitions by owners of three vessels that were seized in February for alleged illegal acts.Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Abhay Mantri on Tuesday passed the direction on petitions by Balboa Shipping, Star Management Shipping and Royal Princess Shipping to direct the Coast Guard to forthwith release the vessels and grant sailing permission. On Feb 15, on the Coast Guard's complaint, the Yellow Gate police registered an FIR and arrested three sailors.Coast Guard's advocate Jitendra Mishra said it noticed certain acts and movements of these vessels "which, prima facie, indicate an alignment with a neighbouring state." One vessel was noticed near Pakistan's exclusive economic zone on Jan 20 and 21. Mishra informed that the automatic identification system of all three vessels were switched off at different times and locations, which is termed ‘spoofing'. Coast Guard noticed their location using ‘very high frequency' radio. The information transmitted by these vessels "was of a location different from the actual location near Pakistan."The judges took note of the Feb 27 survey report of the director general (shipping) which stated that registration of two vessels and the insurance of three vessels were fake. There was also a fake national flag on one vessel. Petitioners' advocates denied the allegations and said they would take instructions and respond. The judges posted the hearing on April 6. Until then, they granted the petitioners' liberty to purchase their daily/weekly supplies of food, water, fuel, medicines, etc. from their regular suppliers, "subject to the security measures as may be in vogue."