The 35 men have been in an Indian prison since October after the 197-dwtoperator support vessel Seaman Guard Ohio (built 1984) was detained off theport of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu state.
Judicial Magistrate C Kathiravan granted conditional bail to the men oncethey posted an INR 10,000 ($161) surety bond, according to The Hindu newspaper.
The crew had been arrested on charges related to an unauthorised purchase ofsubsidised fuel but the vessel was at the centre of a controversy because ofthe presence of a cache of weapons.
AdvanFort, a US-based firm providing armed security to ship operators, hasinsisted on the innocence of the men.
“These men have adhered to the higheststandards of legality and integrity throughout this unfortunate ordeal,” the companysaid in a statement provided to TradeWinds.
The men will be required to report to a police station twice a day while onbail.
“Their release is the result of AdvanFort pressing thoroughly non-stop,top-to-bottom and day and night to liberate them from the Indian prison. It isthe next step toward gaining the full freedom they so rightfully deserve,” thecompany said.
