HC rejects plea for recall of order for Panama ship ‘arrest’

Cuttack: A vacation bench of the Orissa high court has rejected a plea for recall the admiralty judge’s order for the arrest of a Panama-registered cargo ship anchored at Paradip international cargo terminal on Feb 23. The order for the arrest of bulk carrier, MV Debi, on PICT’s admiralty suit involves maritime claim for recovery of dues of Rs 7.95 crore towards berth hire and penal charges.
MV Debi’s owners filed an interlocutory application (IA) for recall of the order.
Judge V Narasingh said, “This court is of the considered view that in the present IA, the defendant (MV Debi) in the guise of the current application in nomenclature of an application for recall is in fact seeking review of the order dated 23.2.2024 which is untenable.”
MV Debi had hit the headlines after 22 packets of cocaine were seized from the ship at Paradip on Dec 1, 2023. The ship has since been stranded in Paradip. The customs department as a part of the legal proceedings had produced the seized contraband worth over Rs 200 crore at a local court. tnn