Delay in registration of companies in connection with the sinking of the MSC MSC Elsa 3 vessel will damage the interests of the state, said a naval law expert VJ Mathew.
Mr. Mathew, Vice -President of the Indian Association for Maritime Law and former chairman of the Keraal Naval Council, says he will have any meaningful investigation for the accident, the police must first register the company.
According to him, the question of jurisdiction does not arise in this case, because the announcement of the Union’s government in June 2016 provides one police station in every jurisdiction of the coastal state that applies to an exclusive economic zone (200 naval miles) for crime investigations. Fort Kochi’s numerical police station is a designated station for Kerala and in this case it can register the company, Hindu said.
In this case, the relevant parts of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhit, which are engaged in rash and negligent navigation and are a threat to life and personal security, the Environmental Protection Act and the Business Act.
While the state government has determined the shipwreck with regard to its socio-economic and ecological consequences, Mr. Mathew says that in fact all the costs of the accident and its consequences must be obtained from the owner of the ship. These expenses will include the costs of organizing cleaning, removing carrier and beach containers and compensation to fishermen whose livelihood has been influenced.
The Navy and the Coast Guard also spent public money on rescue efforts that must be restored, he says.
“It is not a natural disaster. The Mercantile Marine department has pointed to technical and operating defects,” he stressed.
He also emphasized the need to publish a freight manifest of a vessel in terms of transparency and public security.
Published – May 29, 2025 20:53
