Stay put, don’t ship out: HC

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The Madras high court on Friday restrained motor vessel Pratibha Cauvery, pushed by strong winds from the outer anchorage to the shore in Besant Nagar, in which five of its crew members died when they attempted to escape in lifeboats, from moving the Chennai port.

Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar also ordered notice, returnable by November 6, to the Union and state governments and Pratibha Shipping Company Ltd, which runs the ship, on a petition from Sankara Narayanan, brother of deceased crew

member Ananda Mohandoss, seeking an interim compensation of `25 lakh.
The judge said S. Prabakaran, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that one more body was found on Friday and the whereabouts of six

employees was not known. If the shipping company moves the ship from Chennai port, the petitioner family and others will not get compensation. “Pending further orders, there will be an interim order of injunction restraining the vessel M T Pratibha Cauvery of moving from Chennai port. Post on November 7,” the judge added.

The petitioner alleged the vessel was not seaworthy and crew were not paid. Ananda Mohandoss and others informed the shipping company and other authorities. But there was no response as the company was owned by a relative of Union minister Sharad Pawar.