HC orders 3rd auction of abandoned cargo vessel, bids open on Aug 21

In its notice about the re-auction following the court’s order, the Sheriff stated that intending bidders could inspect the vessel between July 29 and August 19, the last day for accepting bids

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has paved the way for the abandoned merchant vessel Sencer 1, docked at the Mumbai port trust for over a year, to be auctioned for the third time, after two earlier auctions – held in July and October, 2025 – failed.

HC orders 3rd auction of abandoned cargo vessel, bids open on Aug 21

The National Union of Seafarers India (NUSI) had, in May, urged the court to relieve the five-member crew manning the defunct vessel, saying the conditions on board, including the absence of electricity and extreme heat, were inhospitable and causing serious hardship and psychological distress to the seafarers.

On July 24, Justice Abhay Ahuja allowed the Sheriff of Mumbai to proceed with the third auction of the vessel. In its notice about the re-auction following the court’s order, the Sheriff stated that intending bidders could inspect the vessel between July 29 and August 19, the last day for accepting bids, which would be opened before the High Court on August 21. Bidders would have to deposit earnest money of ₹1 crore with the Sheriff’s office by August 20, the notice said.

The 78-metre-long cargo vessel was abandoned in 2025 due to a legal dispute over unpaid claims. It was then arrested by the high court under its admiralty jurisdiction and placed in the custody of the Sheriff of Mumbai.

After the ship’s Indonesian crew was repatriated on June 28, 2025, the NUSI assured the court that it would provide a replacement crew at the Sheriff’s expense.

According to maritime law experts, it is standard practice to deploy at least minimal crew on an abandoned vessel to ensure that there is no untoward incident. MV Sencer 1 was in ‘cold lay up’, meaning the machinery on it was not functional.

After the vessel found no takers in the first two auctions held by the Sheriff in July and October, 2025 respectively, justice Ahuja had expressed concern over participation of qualified bidders in the third auction. The Directorate General of Shipping’s (DGS) counsel Ashish Mehta had told the court that the DGS supported the third auction “to prevent further deterioration of the vessel and to facilitate satisfaction of outstanding maritime claims.”

The court had also sought names of players who regularly participated in maritime auctions since MV Sencer 1 had been through two unsuccessful rounds. The DGS, however, had told the court that it “does not maintain any database of entities that regularly participate in maritime auctions, and is therefore not in a position to suggest the names of prospective auction purchasers…”.

On June 2, HT had reported how seafarers aboard the abandoned MV Sencer 1 endured months of isolation and hardship before disembarking on May 11, following a court order. The DGS had also stated in its earlier affidavit, “It has further been reported that the conditions on board are inhospitable, including the absence of electricity and extreme heat, thereby causing serious hardship and psychological distress to the seafarers.”