Report by Amarnath Parida; Jagatsinghpur: Orissa High Court has aggrieved on the activities of the Paradip Port Trust authority and central government for not giving the reply of show cause notice on environmental issues of sinking of Black Rose ship and repartition of crew members for affecting the investigation raised by PIL by an advocate and environmentalist.

Meanwhile, PPT authority and government have obtained to extend the time for giving their reply on show cause notices being issues by Orissa High Court.

Earlier, environmentalists Mr Shanknad Behera filed a PIL in Orissa High Court for demanding CBI probe into the sinking of Mongolian ship Black Rose on 9th September also demanded knowledge of all those responsible for the mishap . On the other hand an advocate Guru Prasad Mohanty and the secretary of the State unit of the People’s Union for Civil Liberty (PUCL), filed two misc petition before the High Court for demanding the prevent the repatriation of 26 crew members as investigation is going on regarding sub mission of fake documents and insurance papers. The petitioner also stated that the PPT ignoring the Merchant Shipping Act and Rules and Regulations, allowed rogue ships like the sunken Black Rose to enter into the Paradip Port and that such ships are being used for smuggling mineral ores out of the country in connivance with corrupt officials of the PPT and others.

The ship had 23,847 metric tones of iron ore (fines), 924 tones of furnace oil 40 tones of grease. Besides being worn out, this ship had set its sail without valid documents and no insurance paper. Mr Mohanty has alleged that documents have been submitted with the knowledge of ship’s master Igor Lebedev, may also prejudice the measures taken or to be taken by the Central Government under sections 356 (J) and 356 (K) of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. He argued that these 26 crew members were the eye witness about the entire tragedy and submission of fake documents so their repatriation has resulted the loss of vital evidence of eye-witnesses in the event of any criminal proceeding and investigation under Sections 360 to 368 and any possible action u/s 370 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. Even government was not involved in the process of repatriation and no clearance was taken from them.

Mystery has been shrouded on the activities of officials to suppress or destroy evidence in the case and may be a part of a larger conspiracy to prevent the unearthing of smuggling activities in Paradip and other Indian ports. Mohanty also urged the court to prevent the crew from leaving India, and if they have already left, steps may be taken by the Union Government and Paradip Port Trust (PPT) to ensure their attendance during the statutory inquiries as required under the Merchant Shipping Act and for facilitating action by supplying necessary and vital information to the Union Government.

Realizing this, Orissa High Court has issued show cause notice to PPT authority and central government to give their reply before 17th November because it was hearing date of this petition. Neither PPT authority nor government respond these issues and give any reply within this period. Other wise they obtained to extend the time to give their reply. Meanwhile, court has been aggrieved in their activities and deferred the date of hearing on 30 th November.