Court orders India cargo ship to pay MVR 3mn fine for damage to Kudagiri reef

The Civil Court on Wednesday ruled in favor of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a lawsuit it filed against the owner of an India-flagged cargo ship for failure to pay an MVR 3 million fine imposed for damages to the Kudagiri reef off K. Thilafushi.

The ship MSV. Maria Sinthayathirai Riyana, owned by Smt. T. Jesintha, was carrying scrap metal when it ran aground on the Kudagiri reef on January 31, 2023.

Surveyors from the EPA found the incident resulted in damages to a 130-square-meter area of the reef.

On February 28, 2023, the EPA ordered Smt. T. Jesintha to pay a fine of MVR 3,098,710 within 30 days for the damages.

The EPA filed a lawsuit against Smt. T. Jesintha after it failed to pay the fine.

The Civil Court issued its judgement in the case on Wednesday, ordering Smt. T. Jesintha to pay the fine within 14 days.