Sinking of MSC Elsa 3: Kerala HC seeks report on probe

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The Kerala High Court on Monday (June 8, 2026) directed the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Thoppumpady, to submit a report regarding the proceedings against the crew members of MSC Elsa 3, a Liberia-flagged ship that sank off the Alappuzha coast in May 2025 and caused extensive marine and coastal pollution across Kerala.

The report should include reasons for the delay in the investigation of the crime, the timeline for completion of the investigation, and the date of appearance of the accused before the magistrate, if cognisance of the crime has been taken, said Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas.

The Coastal police, Kochi, informed the court that the final report on the crime had been filed before the magistrate on May 30.

Based on the magistrate’s report, the court will decide if the witness examination before the magistrate should be advanced and whether some of the crew members could be allowed to travel back to their home countries.

The development comes a fortnight after the vessel’s crew members approached the High Court seeking permission to return to their home countries. Subsequently, the court had on June 2 orally observed that their liberty could not be affected due to the non-completion of the inquiry into the incident.

The captain and other crew members had submitted that their detention was illegal, and that the authorities concerned insisted on their presence in the State for investigation, even after mails were sent seeking permission to return to their home countries. Moreover, their passports had been seized by the authorities.

The court had said that their liberty could not be affected merely because they are foreign nationals and that there were guidelines pertaining to fair treatment of seafarers in cases of maritime accidents.