For the first time, the Kerala High Court held a sitting online at 11.30 p.m. on Monday and ordered the arrest of a bulk carrier archored in the Kochi waters, which had refused to pay the amount due to a water supplier.
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Justice Devan Ramachandran, during the hearing, which continued into midnight, directed the Registrar General of the High Court to issue an order for arresting M.V. Ocean Rose, along withher hull, engines, machinery, boats, bunkers, and other equipment, which was anchored in the territorial waters under the Cochin Port and also directed the Deputy Conservator of the Cochin Port to effect the arrest or seizure of the vessel.
The court passed the order in an admiralty suit filed by Grace Young International Company. According to it, the owner of the vessel owed it over ₹2 crore towards the supply of water to the vessel. The vessel called at the port carrying sulphur meant for Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited in Kochi.
The court ordered the hearing at 11.30 p.m as, according to the petitioner, the vessel has scheduled its departure at 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
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The court also ordered that the warrant of arrest would stand withdrawn in the event of the owner of the bulk carrier depositing ₹2,43,75,000 before the High Court towards the payment due to the petitioner company.