Mumbai: A sessions court on Tuesday granted
interim bail till tomorrow to the captain of cargo vessel MV
Khalijia 111, which had collided with another cargo ship MSC
Chitra resulting in a major oil spill off and around the
Mumbai coast earlier this month.
Captain Laxman Dubey of Khalijia had approached the
sessions court yesterday seeking anticipatory bail after the
police registered a case of negligence against the captains
and crew members of both the vessels.
According to Dubey, the collision was due to navigational
error and not deliberate and Khalijia was at a slow speed at
the time of the accident.
The court on Tuesday adjourned the matter for hearing till
tomorrow but has however directed the police to not arrest
Dubey till then.
Last week, the captain of Chitra, Mandeleno Ranjit Martin
had also approached the court seeking anticipatory bail. The
court will also hear his bail plea tomorrow.
The police had registered a case under various sections
of IPC and the Environment Protection Act for rash navigation
of vessels, endangering the life or personal safety of others
and mischief.
The two merchant vessels had collided on August 7
resulting in a major oil spill from MSC Chitra. Although no
one was injured, 33 crew members, including two Pakistanis,
were rescued from both the ships.
PTI
