The Kerala high court on Thursday ordered release of Italian ship Enrica Lexie, detained off Kochi port for over a month in connection with the gunning down of two Indian fishermen allegedly by Marines aboard the vessel.
Allowing the plea of ship owners Dolphin Tankers, Justice P.S. Gopinathan directed the state government and the police to release the ship, subject to the owners executing a `3 crore bond before the deputy conservator of Cochin Port Trust.
The court also directed the shipping company to give an undertaking that the vessel, its master and crew would appear as and when called upon by competent authorities with three weeks’ prior notice. On the argument of advocate general K.P. Dandapani that other Marines could also be required as part of the probe, the court said release of the vessel should not interfere with the probe.
The owners argued they could not take responsibility of the Marines as they were not part of the ship’s crew and they were deputed by the Italian Navy for security.