Bombay High Court Orders Immediate Discharge Of LPG Cargo From Arrested Vessel At Jaigarh Port Citing Risk Of Fire, Explosion
The Bombay High Court has issued urgent directions for immediate discharge of LPG from the arrested vessel LPG Amir Gas at Jaigarh Port, in view of the risk of fire or explosion and the “catastrophic consequences” that a large-scale release of LPG could result in. The Court further directed the concerned disaster management authorities and the Director General of Shipping to extend full cooperation and assistance for safe discharge of the cargo and to plan for its discharge in case the security amount ordered by the Court was not deposited.
Justice Abhay Ahuja was hearing an Interim Application filed by JSW Jaigarh Port Limited in an admiralty suit concerning the vessel LPG Amir Gas, which had been arrested pursuant to an order dated April 29, 2026, with a direction not to permit discharge of its cargo.
The Applicant submitted that the cargo required careful monitoring and cooling operations to be carried throughout by the use of the vessels cooling pumps, and that failure to maintain its temperature created a very high risk of heating and explosion, which can pose danger to the crew and cause damage to the vessel, port facilities, other ships, port infrastructure and the surrounding environment and ecology.
The Plaintiff submitted that although the parties had been unable to arrive at a settlement concerning sharing of the cargo, it was willing to deposit AED 34,78,481, being the amount of two invoices.
Considering the exigent circumstances, the Court held that any party depositing AED 34,78,481 with the Court as security would be permitted to have the LPG cargo discharged in its favour. Since the Plaintiff agreed to deposit the amount, the Court directed that upon confirmation of the deposit, the Plaintiff should immediately take steps to discharge the cargo.
In view of the catastrophic consequences that a large-scale release of LPG could result in due to fire or explosion, the Court issued urgent notice to the Director General of Shipping, the State Disaster Management Authority, the District Disaster Management Authority of Jaigarh Port and the National Disaster Management Authority. It directed them to cooperate and assist in safe discharge of the cargo and to plan and prepare for discharge or release of the cargo even if no amount was deposited.
“… this Court also deems it appropriate to issue urgent and immediate notice… not only to render full co-operation and assistance for the safe discharge of the LPG cargo in the event the Plaintiff deposits the AED 34,78,481 in this Court as above but also plan and prepare for a discharge/release of the cargo, in the event no amounts are deposited… so as to avert a disaster/catastrophe…,” the Court remarked.
The Court clarified that upon deposit of the security amount, the restraint on discharge of the LPG cargo would stand vacated, while the arrest of the vessel would continue. The Interim Application was allowed to the above extent.
Case Title: Jhang Union International LLC FZ v. LPG Amir Gas [Commercial Admiralty Suit No. 26 of 2026]