Overview
- The division bench, in an interim order Wednesday, barred the MV Deltin Royale from entering the Mandovi unless it first gets all required certifications and the court’s permission.
- The court recorded that the vessel lacks a certificate of survey under the Merchant Shipping Act, a document that confirms a ship’s build, tonnage and identity, and said it cannot sail into Panaji Port without it.
- Goa’s Home Department told the bench that any decision to allow casino operations on the new ship will be placed before the court first, with no change to the old 70-passenger licence until then.
- The case returns July 6, 2026, and until then the company says the vessel will stay berthed at Mormugao and is not expected to reach the Mandovi before the monsoon.
- Residents and activists who filed the PIL cite navigational bottlenecks, river ecology risks and harm to fisherfolk, noting the new 112m-by-28m ship can carry more people than the six current offshore vessels combined.