Kochi, Jun 8 The Kerala High Court on Monday sought a report from the local court regarding the status of the investigation into the casualty caused by the sinking of the vessel MSC Elsa 3 off the Kerala coast.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas sought the report from the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court while considering a petition filed by seven foreign crew members of the vessel seeking permission to leave the country.
During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General of India (ASGI) submitted that an application had been filed before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I, Thoppumpady, on September 12, 2025, under Section 360 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, seeking a formal investigation into the casualty arising from the sinking of MSC Elsa 3.
The Coastal Police informed the court that a final report in the case had been filed before the same court on May 30, 2026.
Taking note of the submissions, the High Court directed its Registry to obtain instructions from the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I, Thoppumpady, regarding the reasons for the delay in commencing the investigation pursuant to the application filed under Section 360 of the Merchant Shipping Act.
The court also sought details of the proceedings that had taken place since the receipt of the application, the likely timeline for completion of the investigation, and whether the examination of the vessel's Master and Chief Engineer, currently scheduled for June 27, 2026, could be advanced to an earlier date.
The HC further asked whether cognisance had been taken on the final report filed by the Coastal Police and, if so, the date fixed for the appearance of the accused persons.
The court directed that the report be made available at the earliest, preferably by Tuesday, when the matter will be taken up again.
MSC Elsa 3 sank off the Kerala coast on May 25, 2025.
The Coastal Police had registered a case alleging that the sinking of the vessel caused marine and coastal pollution.
