TN police not to contest acquittal of arms ship crew

“They all left Chennai with their new travel documents issued by the government during the last two days. All of them were released from jails on November 28, a day after the court acquitted them,” a police officer noted. We were told by the legal team that there is no need to appeal after going through the judgment, the officer added.

The court found out that every ship is entitled to the right of innocent passage through the territorial waters as long as the passage is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal state. The court also found out that the ship was in distress as it ran out of fuel and provisions and hence anchoring in the territorial water for refilling fuel was within the right of innocent passage.

The10-member crew and 25 armed guards of MV Seaman Guard Ohio, an anti-piracy vessel, were detained on October 12, 2013, by the Indian Coast Guard off Thoothukudi coast and later handed over to the police for entering the Indian waters with deadly arms without declaring them.

There were lots of international pressure on the state government and representatives of governments of UK, Ukraine and Estonia had approached the state and Union governments through diplomatic channel requesting the release of the convicts, police sources said. British media has been campaigning for the release of the six Britons convicted in the case.

On charges of commission of unlawful activities within the territorial waters of India, the ship was brought to the shore, and the officers and crew were arrested. The ship had 10 crew members of whom eight were Indians and two Ukrainians. Besides, the vessel had 25 security guards- six British, 14 Estonian, four Indians and one Ukrainian.