The owner of a Cambodian merchant vessel, which is now under the supervision of Nagapattinam Port Control, was directed to appoint a new agent and lawyer to resolve litigation issues.
A release stated that the vessel with 8,400 tonnes of ceramic clay was denied entry to a port owing to a Bombay High Court directive to seize the vessel. It moved to Nagapattinam and dropped anchor within port limits without the approval of authorities last Thursday. The master of the vessel refused to move out under the pretext of non-availability of fuel on board.
The port authorities sought the assistance of the Coast Guard as no security apparatus was available with them to tackle the situation. The Coast Guard ship Gangadevi, operating in the area, was diverted to assist the port. It dispatched a boarding party to the ship on Tuesday to rule out any transgression by the crew and make it safe for the investigating team, the release added.
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