Fishermans wife challenges move to release ship

KOCHI: Doramma, wife of Valentine alias Jalastine who was shot dead by Italian marines recently, approached the Kerala High Court on Tuesday against the move to release the vessel Enrica Lexie from Kochi port.The petitioner contended that the order by the Director-General of Shipping was illegal and sought a directive to produce the documents based on which the sanction was granted to release the ship.She also submitted that there was inaction on the part of the Central Government in the case and appropriate action was not taken against the vessel Captain Umberto Vitelli.  “The Centre, being the competent authority to give sanction for prosecuting the persons by invoking the provision of Suppression of Unlawful Act of Violence against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continued Shelf Act 2001(SUA) 2002, has so far not taken any action,” the petitioner said.She further submitted that the vessel was not taken into custody treating it as vehicle used for the commissioning of murder. The Captain was not charged under Section 107 for abatement and for destruction of evidence. According to the petitioner, the action of the marines amounted to piracy as described in the SUA Act.  She also sought a directive to declare Enrica Lexie as a pirate vessel as defined under the Article 101 and 103 of the UN convention. The petition also sought a directive to the police to seize the Italian ship and the tampered voyage recorders of the ship and other equipment, as it engaged in an act of piracy.