KOCHI : A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has stayed the Single Judge’s order permitting the Italian ship to leave the Cochin Port till Monday. When the court asked the Centre whether it accepted the conditions to release the vessel, Assistant Solicitor-General P Parameswaran Nair replied in negative.
“Will the Union of India or the state government take the responsibility if the bond conditions are violated by the shipping company,” the court asked. However, Advocate-General K P Dandapani submitted that the bond conditions were given on just a `50 stamp paper. “The state would not be able to catch the vessel once it sails out of Indian waters,” the AG said.
“The forensic laboratory report of the weapons seized by the police is being awaited. Investigation would have to be conducted if the FSL test finds any tampering with the evidence,” he said.
“The police seized only those weapons which were shown by the Italians,” he added. At this, the Bench said that if entire weapons were not seized, then that meant the investigating officer did not execute the task properly.