The ‘Q’ Branch police filed a charge-sheet in a local court on Monday in the case relating to the detention of the crew of the U.S. ship, ‘Seaman Guard Ohio.’
R.D. Baskaran, Inspector of Police, ‘Q’ Branch, filed the 2,158-page charge sheet against 45 accused, including guards, crew and diesel suppliers, before Judicial Magistrate-I, C. Kathiravan, here.
The police submitted 68 items of evidence and 66 supporting documents along with the charge sheet. The owner of the shipping company, AdvanFort International, and its Operational Director are among the accused. The U.S. ship was apprehended on October 12 by Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Naikidevi’ on the charge of trespassing into Indian waters without permission and for possession of illegal weapons. The guards and ship crew were arrested by the ‘Q’ Branch police on October 18.
On December 27, Tuticorin Chief Judicial Magistrate K. Venkatasamy granted interim stay of the conditional bail granted on December 26 to 35 men, including the crew of the detained ship.
