IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD R/ADMIRALTY SUIT NO. 2 of 2026 ==========================================================

M/S KHUSHGRA SHIPPING SERVICES JAMNAGAR & ORS.

Versus MVELVITA R (IMO NO. 9395264)

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Appearance:

MR MEET D PANSURIA(10170) for the Plaintiff(s) No. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 ==========================================================

CORAM:HONOURABLE MRS. JUSTICE MAUNA M. BHATT Date : 06/01/2026

ORAL ORDER

1. Heard learned Advocate Mr. Meet Pansuria for the Plaintiffs;

2. Mr. Pansuria submitted that the Defendant Vessel “MV ELVITA R” (IMO No. 9395264) is presently lying and/or anchored at Bedi Port, Jamnagar, Gujarat, within the admiralty jurisdiction of this Hon’ble Court and that the Plaintiffs have a maritime claim under Section 4(1)(l) of the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017 against the Defendant Vessel for a sum of Rs. 29,62,800/- (Rupees Twenty Nine Lakh Sixty Two Thousand Eight Hundred only), comprising of the principal sum of Rs.26,06,415 with interest being Rs.1,56,385/- together with legal cost of Rs.2,00,000/- aggregating Rs.29,62,800/- with 2% interest per month on Rs.26,06,415/- from the date of institution of the present suit till date of payment, arising out of services rendered and necessaries supplied to the Defendant Vessel, including crew-

change related services, provisions, logistics, statutory compliances and allied expenses;

3. It is submitted that the Plaintiffs’ engagement and expenditure arose through a clear and traceable contractual and operational chain directly connecting the Plaintiffs to the Defendant Vessel through its manager and manning agents. On 21-07-2025, Central Ship Management Co. Ltd., being the ISM Manager of the Defendant Vessel MV ELVITA R, entered into a Manning Agreement with Ocean Fortune Marine Pvt. Ltd. for recruitment, sign-off, repatriation and replacement of crew members on board vessels owned, operated or managed by Central Ship Management Co. Ltd. Pursuant thereto, Ocean Fortune Marine Pvt. Ltd., acting through its authorised signatory, filed OJCA No. 1 of 2025 in Admiralty Suit No. 40 of 2025 before this Hon’ble Court, seeking permission for disembarkation of the existing crew and onboarding of replacement crew of the Defendant Vessel. By order dated 05- 08-2025, this Hon’ble Court permitted the said crew-change operations at Bedi Port, Jamnagar.

4. It is submitted that in order to operationalise the said court-

sanctioned crew change while the vessel remained under arrest at Bedi Port, Guardians Shipping Pvt. Ltd., a company under common control with Ocean Fortune Marine Pvt. Ltd. and having the same directors, namely Mr. Tarun Goel and Mr. Anurag Garg, was utilised as the local executing entity. On 03-08-2025, Guardians Shipping Pvt. Ltd. expressly appointed the Plaintiff firm, M/s Khushagra Shipping Services, as its sub-agent at Bedi Port for the purpose of providing husbandry services, coordinating the crew-change operation, liaising with port and immigration authorities, and crucially, for making payments on behalf of Guardians Shipping Pvt. Ltd. towards expenses necessary for implementation of the crew-change permission granted by this Hon’ble Court.

5. It is further submitted that acting strictly under the authority conferred by Guardians Shipping Pvt. Ltd., and in furtherance of the manning arrangement originating from Central Ship Management Co. Ltd., the Plaintiffs incurred and paid expenses towards immigration and FRRO formalities, tug hire, crew transportation, accommodation, food, port handling, compliance costs arising from court directions, and supply of provisions, all during the period when the Defendant Vessel was under arrest within the territorial jurisdiction of this Hon’ble Court. The Plaintiffs’ role was thus integrally connected to the Defendant Vessel through a continuous chain comprising the Vessel’s Manager, its appointed manning agent, the sister