Ship Captain Needed Onboard, Avoids Jail

Indian Coastguard officials insist captain must be on board despite court detention order

Despite being refused bail by the Madras (India) High Court, captain of MV Prabhu Daya, the ship suspected to have collided with a fishing boat off Kerala coast, killing five fishermen, could not be arrested after the Chennai port and Coast Guard authorities raised objections.

Moments after the high court rejected the [bail] petition a team of Kerala police officers took him into custody. A team member said they could not take him to the shore as the port trust and the Coast Guard officiaals raised objections, saying a vessel could not be allowed to remain without a captain. The five-member team had to send Pereira back to the vessel.