Indian court orders Russian tanker crew to return home
On the arrested at the port of Paradeep tanker Unity are 23 sailors. The court ordered the Indian authorities to arrange for them to return home and replace the crew, preferably within three weeks of receiving the ruling
The high court of the Indian state of Odisha ordered the authorities to organize the return home of 23 crew members of the arrested tanker Unity, among whom there are Russians. This was reported by a relative of one of the sailors. This was also reported by Splash with reference to the court decision.
The court found the captain and the rest of the crew abandoned sailors: the shipowner did not pay wages, did not provide them with necessary supplies and did not organize a change of crew or return home. Later, the ship's insurer provided supplies and repaid the salary arrears.
The Indian authorities were instructed to arrange the landing of the sailors and their repatriation, as well as to provide the tanker with a replacement crew. Costs may be recovered from the shipowner or other responsible persons. The court ordered this to be done as soon as possible, preferably within three weeks of receiving the decision.
As follows from the review of the decision published by LawLens, the court referred to the Indian Merchant Shipping Act 2025 and the Maritime Labour Convention. It rejected the argument that the return of seafarers and the replacement of crew were the sole responsibility of the shipowner and other parties to the commercial dispute.
The Indian side was obliged to organize the replacement and repatriation of the crew. But there's a lot of "buts." The deadlines are stretched and the Indian side can appeal. There is nothing else to be happy about, a relative of one of the crew members told RBC.
RBC appealed for comment to the Russian Foreign Ministry and the insurance company.
Unity has been under arrest at the Indian port of Paradeep since May. As reported by RBC press Secretary of the Russian Embassy in India Peter Sizov, the ship was arrested in a commercial dispute. Russian diplomats and the insurer provided the crew with food, water and medicines, the insurance company paid the sailors salaries.
In September, the relatives of the sailors told RBC that the tanker does not operate the main engine and part of the navigation equipment, electricity is periodically turned off. According to them, a long stay on the ship affected the physical and moral condition of the crew.
On October 3, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the embassy had sent the Indian Foreign Ministry six notes verbale on the situation with Unity. He said there were 20 Russians on board. According to Zakharova, the Russian ambassador also asked India’s minister of ports, shipping and waterways to intervene personally. Senior mechanic Alexei Boev, with the assistance of the Consulate General in Calcutta, was returned to his homeland for medical reasons.
