MV Khalijia's captain gets interim bail

A sessions court granted interim bail till Wednesday to the captain of cargo vessel MV Khalijia 111, which had collided with another cargo ship MSC Chitra resulting in a major oil spill off and around the Mumbai coast earlier this month.

Captain Laxman Dubey of the Khalijia had approached the sessions court on Monday seeking anticipatory bail after the police registered a case of negligence against the captains and crew members of both the vessels. According to Dubey, the collision was due to navigational error and not deliberate and the vessel was at a slow speed at the time of the accident.

The court adjourned the matter for hearing till Wednesday

but has however directed the police to not arrest Dubey till then. Last week, the captain of Chitra, Mandeleno Ranjit Martin had also approached the court seeking anticipatory bail. The court will also hear his bail plea on Wednesday.

The police had registered a case under various sections of IPC and the Environment Protection Act for rash navigation of vessels, endangering the life or personal safety of others and mischief. The two merchant vessels had collided on August 7 resulting in a major oil spill from MSC Chitra. Although no one was injured, 33 crew members, including two Pakistanis, were rescued from both the ships.