PANAJI
The citizens’ group “Enough is Enough” has filed a caveat petition in the Supreme Court apprehending that the Deltin casino operator may challenge the interim order passed by the High Court of Bombay at Goa restricting sailing of the casino vessel in the Mandovi river.
The petitioners have sought to ensure that no order is passed by the apex court without first hearing them if the casino company approaches the Supreme Court against the High Court’s directions.
The Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar, while hearing the matter over three days, on Wednesday observed that the vessel presently does not possess the mandatory certificate of survey and hence restrained its operation in the Mandovi river.
“The vessel does not possess a certificate of survey as of today. In view of this, we deem it appropriate that it shall not sail in the River Mandovi without first obtaining the requisite certificates and permissions, and in any event, not without the prior permission of this court,” the Bench stated.
The court further directed that if the Goa government intends to permit casino operations on the new vessel, it must first place the decision before the court prior to issuing any approval.
The 112-metre offshore casino vessel had recently arrived in Goa and is currently docked at Berth No. 4 of the Mormugao Port Authority. According to shipping sources, the vessel is expected to remain at the port for nearly a month to undergo repairs, documentation formalities and sea clearance procedures before any operational clearance is considered.
