Orissa HC orders return of foreign seafarers, upholds Article 21 rights

The Orissa High Court has ordered the release of foreign seafarers held on a vessel detained at Paradip port since May 11. The court was hearing a petition filed by Istyagin Evegeny Nikolaevich, a Russian national and master of MT Unity, challenging the prolonged detention.

The court ruled that Article 21 of the Indian Constitution—which guarantees the right to life and liberty—extends protection to foreign nationals within Indian territory. The judgment emphasised that indefinite detention without due legal process violates this fundamental right.

The vessel MT Unity had been anchored at Paradip following its arrest. The court's direction seeks to ensure the seafarers' prompt repatriation and restore their constitutional protections.