SANJIB BANERJEE,J. - (1.) These six appeals arise out of the drama and excitement relating to the sale of the vessel MV VSEVOLOD BELETSKIY. The principal dramatis personae are the purchaser in whose favour the sale of the vessel has been confirmed, the Board of Trustees for the Port of Kolkata who are the unwilling hosts of the vessel at a working berth which has been rendered useless for nearly two years, the plaintiffs in the two admiralty suits brought against the vessel in which arrest orders have been obtained, a subsequent bidder for the vessel that had bid nearly 50 per cent more for the vessel but after the sale was confirmed in favour of the purchaser and, in these appeals, a Russian bank which claims to enjoy the vessel as a security for the credit facilities granted to the Russian owners of the vessel. There are other bit players in the fray, not the least of them being a quaintly-dressed gentleman who waltzed to the appellate court Nureyev-style, claiming to be a director of the Russian company owning the vessel; and disappeared just as quickly.
(2.) The vessel arrived late in November, 2017 at Haldia from the port of Imbituba, Brazil under a voyage charter with the second defendant in AS 3 of 2017. On November 24, 2017, the plaintiff in AS 3 of 2017, Rigveda Maritime Private Limited, obtained an order for arrest of vessel by asserting a maritime claim in excess of US $ 442,000. Such claim pertains to the alleged failure on the part of the vessel to comply with its obligations under a charter-party agreement of August 23, 2017. After passing the ex parte order, the Admiralty Bench had made the application for arrest returnable on November 27, 2017. The matter was, however, taken up only on November 30, 2017 and the order for arrest confirmed since no one claiming any interest in the vessel appeared or opposed the same.
(3.) A further order for arrest pertaining to the vessel was made in AS 5 of 2018, filed by Syed Safi on account of goods of value in excess of Rs.13 lakh allegedly supplied to the vessel, on July 2, 2018. Again, none appeared to contest the order for arrest when the matter was next taken up on August 23, 2018.;