Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: A senior Merchant Navy officer from Goa has moved the High Court of Bombay at Goa after his Non-Resident External (NRE) salary and bank accounts were frozen by private banks following an emergency crew change through Iran, which he claims later resulted in his name being linked to a sanctions list issued by the United States Treasury Department.
In the petition, the officer has contended that the restrictions imposed on his banking operations are unlawful and violate his constitutional rights. He has argued that despite complying with Indian laws, he has been unable to access his salary or operate his bank accounts.
The petitioner, a resident of Carmona in South Goa, has made the Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Reserve Bank of India, the State Government, the Director of NRI Affairs, the Directorate General of Shipping and three other authorities parties to the proceedings.
Court records state that the issue arose during his assignment on board the merchant vessel MT Lioness. He joined the ship on June 10, 2024, after being called to replace its master, who had to leave the vessel because of a family emergency. As the vessel was operating in international waters close to Iran, the officer travelled there to complete the crew change and remained on board until February 4, 2025.
According to the petition, the journey through Iran was undertaken solely for professional reasons. The officer claims he travelled on a valid Indian passport, obtained the required visa and completed all immigration and port formalities before joining the vessel.
He has maintained that he has never conducted any business or commercial transactions in Iran and that his presence there was limited to fulfilling his contractual responsibilities as a seafarer.
The petition further states that Iran was the nearest and most practical location for the crew change because of the vessel’s position at sea, making the route operationally necessary.
Claiming that the continued freezing of his salary and bank accounts has caused serious financial hardship, the officer has sought directions from the High Court to restore his access to banking services.
After considering the petition, the High Court issued notices to the respondents and listed the matter for further hearing on July 28.
