Court acquits 35 crew members of US ship

chennai — An Indian court on Monday acquitted 35 men, including several from Britain, Estonia and Ukraine, of illegal possession of arms while they were on a US-operated anti-piracy boat.

The six Britons, three Ukrainians, 14 Estonians and 12 Indians were given five-year jail terms by a lower court in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state in January 2016.

The Indian coast guard intercepted the privately run MV Seaman Guard Ohio off the coast of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu in October 2013.

Semi-automatic weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found.

The crew were charged with not having proper paperwork to carry weapons in Indian waters, but India has faced intense diplomatic pressure over the case ever since. R. Subramaniya Adityan, a lawyer for 19 of the crew, said after Monday’s hearing at the Madras High Court that the men “will be released after the court order reaches the prison officials on Tuesday”.

Another lawyer, R. Arumuga Ram, said that efforts were being made to get the men released as early as Monday night. “Otherwise, (we) will ensure to release all of them by 6:00 am tomorrow,” he added.

But Indian authorities are still able to appeal, which could prevent the foreigners from leaving India.

Twenty-three of the men are detained in Chennai’s Puzhal prison, while the remaining 12 are at Palayamkottai Central Prison in Tirunelveli.

The MV Seaman Guard Ohio was chartered to protect ships crossing the Indian Ocean at a time of increased risk from pirate attacks.—