Kerala HC bans palm oil shipments at Cochin Port

Kochi, Nov 20 (UNI) Kerala High Court Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan today directed that no vessel carrying palm oil would be permitted to unload goods at Cochin Port until further orders.

Modifying an earlier interim order, passed by Justice S Sirijagan on October 25, staying a Central Government notification banning the import of palm oil into the country through Cochin Port, Justice Radhakrishnan posted the case for further hearing tomorrow.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had on October 16, 2007, passed a notification banning the import of palm oil through Cochin Port, as a measure to arrest the sliding price of coconut oil.

Justice Sirijagan had however stayed the order while hearing two separate petitions challenging the notification.

With Justice Sirijagan recusing himself from the case yesterday following certain adverse remarks by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, the matter was referred to Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan.

UNI