The Kerala High Court has allowed the Chief Officer and the Second Engineer of MSC Elsa 3, a Liberia-flagged vessel, to return to their home countries. The ship sank off the coast of Alappuzha in May 2025, causing extensive marine and coastal pollution across the shores of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas was considering a plea by the ship’s crew members who had been detained in Kochi for more than a year after the ship capsize. They had sought permission to travel back to their home countries and the return of their passports. 

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The court directed the two crew members to execute a simple bond for ₹10 lakh or a cash deposit of ₹1 lakh before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Kochi, along with an undertaking that they would cooperate with the trial and the investigation in the case and that they would travel to India as directed by the jurisdictional court. They were asked to furnish their permanent address and mobile numbers. The government was instructed to provide assistance for their travel once the crew members executed the conditions. 

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An FIR was registered in Fort Kochi Coastal Police Station in connection with the ship’s sinking and the trial proceedings are under way at the magistrate's court, where the Captain, Chief Officer, Chief Engineer and Second Engineer were arraigned as accused. They were charged with offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for rash navigation of a vessel, obstruction in a public way or line of navigation, and negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substances and fire or combustibles.

The Electro Technical Officer, Sea Man and Motor Man of the ship, marked as witnesses, were allowed to return home after fulfilling the conditions imposed by the court to secure their presence during the investigation and trial.