Intro: The chief officer and second engineer of the ship had been detained in Kochi for more than a year after the ship capsize.
Kochi
The Kerala High Court on Monday permitted two more foreign crew members of the sunken cargo vessel MSC Elsa 3 to return to their home countries while directing them to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation into the shipwreck off the Kerala coast.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the order while hearing petitions filed by the Chief Officer and the Second Engineer of the Liberian-flagged vessel, which sank off the Kerala coast on May 25, 2025. The crew members had remained in India for more than a year after the incident.
The court allowed both officers to leave the country subject to stringent conditions. Each has been directed to execute a bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties and deposit Rs 1 lakh as cash security before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kochi.
The officers have also been instructed to submit an undertaking stating that they will cooperate with the investigation under the relevant legal provisions. Additionally, they must provide their permanent residential address, mobile number and other contact details before departing from India.
The High Court had earlier indicated that it was inclined to grant them permission to travel as their names were not mentioned in the preliminary enquiry report.
This is the second order allowing foreign crew members to leave India in connection with the case. Earlier, the court had granted similar relief to three other foreign crew members after imposing identical conditions.
With the latest order, five of the seven foreign crew members who approached the High Court have now been allowed to return to their respective countries. The petitions filed by the ship’s Master and the Chief Engineer are still pending before the court.
BOX
What’s the matter
- Two foreign crew members allowed to return home.
- Rs 10 lakh bond and Rs 1 lakh cash security mandated.
- Must cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
- Five of seven petitioning crew members granted relief.
