Indians seize MV Seaman Guard Ohio
Quote:
The American ship, detained by Coast Guard for carrying arms and ammunition off Tamil Nadu coast, may escape action if it is established that the vessel was cruising beyond Indian territorial waters, a top official said today.
"You have to understand that our territorial waters extend upto 12 nautical miles. Anything that happens beyond that is not within the realm of our control," Deputy National Security Advisor Nehchal Sandhu told reporters on the sidelines of function in New Delhi.
"So, if there is a ship beyond that and doing whatever it is doing, then what can anybody do in terms of law. You cannot concoct law," he said.
The vessel, MV Seaman Guard Ohio, whose crew included eight Indians, was intercepted and detained by the Indian Coast Guard east of Tuticorin on Saturday.
An FIR has been registered against 10 crew members and 25 guards of the detained ship by the Tamil Nadu Marine Police for illegally carrying arms and ammunition.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-...0.aspx?hts0021
Conflicting and Confusing Reports
This is confusing. Something isn't making sense.
If you go to the AdvanFort site, there is something posted from October 17th, a Boarding Clearance Certificate from the Coast Guard that says, "....the inspection did not reveal any violation under the above referred Act." Link as follows:
http://www.advanfort.com/Indian-Coas...to-MV-OHIO.pdf
Also, the company has written:
Quote:
The certificate, dated September 9th, specifically noted that it "did not reveal any
violation under the above referred Act" (the Maritime Zones of India Act, 1981) and
"rules made there under as amended to enforce this Law."
The inspection included both the OHIO as a vessel, as well as its necessary
documentation.
The certification was issued while the OHIO was in the Indian Port Tuticorin.
AdvanFort International would also like to thank Indian Deputy National Security
Advisor Nehchal Sandhu for his comments earlier yesterday, when he told reporters:
"You have to understand that our territorial waters extend up to 12 nautical miles.
Anything that happens beyond that is not within the realm of our control. So, if there is
a ship beyond that and doing whatever it is doing, then what can anybody do in terms of
law?
“You cannot concoct law,” he added.
So what then happened in port? Are the men being detained currently? What are the charges? Can they be viewed by the public?
Whose job is it in country to visit the American citizens, someone from the Embassy/Consulate? The British citizens have been visited, apparently, what about the others?
The reports are conflicting and contradictory in the media. What happened?
Didn't see this originally....
Quote:
The men had been booked under two sections of the Indian Arms Act that prohibits possession of weapons without permission. A case under Passport Act and Essential Commodities Act was also registered for procuring fuel in Indian waters in an unauthorized manner.
So, why was a certificate issued? What changed? Was the ship outside Indian waters and did it follow the Coast Guard at its request? If that is the case, how does the Indian Arms Act strictly follow? Did the ship make a mistake in following the Coast Guard or did someone override the initial inspection? Why?
I'll stop spamming this thread after this....
Quote:
MT Desh Shanti, belonging to the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), was detained by Iran at Bandar Abbas Port on August 12 for alleged pollution. It was released on September 6.
The vessel, which can carry 1,40,000 tonnes of crude, was detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps in the Persian Gulf while carrying oil from Basrah in Iraq to Visakhapatnam.
It was released after SCI, India's largest shipping company, submitted a letter of undertaking to the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organisation.
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/ir...ct-ties-418780
How often are ships being detained these days? Is this increasing?
Indian prison hell of Scots pirate hunter
Quote:
Tomorrow, the 33-year-old of Connel, near Oban, will find out if he will at last be freed on bail from Puzhal jail in the Indian city of Chennai.
But an account of the drama, written by one of Billy’s crewmates, reveals the squalid and degrading conditions in which the seamen are being held. It also reveals how Billy and his colleagues were tricked by Indian police, who told them they were being taken to hospital before locking them up in jail.
(Billy's father says) We’ve been failed by his employers, AvanFort. We’ve been let down by the Foreign Office and we have no faith in the Indian legal system.
Link:http://www.sundaypost.com/news-views...unter-1.172483
Found via an e-petition calling upon UK government to help:https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitio...cdA_ovjhrGDbim
Billy Irving: Scottish man held in India granted bail
A BBC report:
Quote:
A former British serviceman who has been held in prison in India since October has been granted bail. All six Britons have been in prison in India since 24 October. It is not yet clear if the other five men have been granted bail.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-west-26748266