On October 28, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, the "MV Magnet Team," was detained Paradip Port in India by the Odisha Police. The detention was carried out on the orders of the Odisha High Court due to the cargo ship's operating company defaulting a staggering 211 million rupees in maintenance fees.

Earlier, Silk Road Shipping & Chartering Limited, a shipping agency based in Cutt, had filed a maritime suit in the High Court against the cargo ship's operating company for non-payment of dues.

The case was registered under Section 41)(h) of the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Maritime Claims) Act, 2017, which deals with disputes arising out of charter parties

Justice V. Narasingh of the Odisha High Court's Admiralty Jurisdiction Bench ordered the detention of the cargo ship on October 27, that if the vessel was not detained, the plaintiff's claim would not be realized, and the case would become infructuous.

The Kujang court, acting this order, issued a detention order against the cargo ship. Subsequently, the police detained the vessel at Paradip Port in the presence of a magistrate.

The Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Paradip Port, Smurti Ranjan Kar, stated that the cargo ship had been "safely detained" and directed port authorities put in place security measures to ensure the safety of the vessel during the period of detention.

According to port officials, the MV Magnet Team (IMO 923507) is a 24-year-old bulk carrier flying the flag of Panama.

The vessel had arrived from Russia and was anchored at Paradip Ports International Container Terminal (PICT) berth on Saturday to discharge a consignment of coking coal. As per the court order, the vessel will remain berthed at port until further judicial instructions are received or the dues are settled.

The plaintiff had sought an order from the High Court directing the defendant cargo ship to pay 21182,656 rupees along with interest at 12% per annum until the dues are settled.

Reportedly, security measures Paradip Port have been beefed up following the detention of the cargo ship. The "MV Magnet Team" will remain under judicial detention until further orders from the court