Legal inertia sees crew of Seaman Guard Ohio remain behind bars for 2 years without trial

Mumbai: The crew from the private security vessel Seaman Guard Ohio, already detained in India for 625 days without a trial, face a further six months of incarceration before legal proceedings get underway, the Mission to Seafarers has reported today.

The crew of the Advanfort controlled ship were arrested in 2013 accused of entering Indian waters with weapons which they did not have the right documents for.

The Sierre Leone flagged ship was detained on October 12, 2013 by the Indian Coast Guard. The vessel was believed to be en route to the Middle East to carry out security duties. Advanfort is an American private maritime security company headquartered in Washington DC.

The Supreme Court judge in New Delhi has referred the long running case back to the Magistrate Court in Tuticorin, to go to full trial.

“Obviously after long sleepless nights this week, we were devastated to hear that the Supreme Court has upheld the Prosecution appeal, after spending 21 months in India ourselves. Our families are beyond broken, both financially and mentally; to see my wife in tears is heart breaking,” said crewmember Paul Towers.