Coastal police can now tackle crime at sea

In a bid to remove the difference among law enforcing agencies over jurisdiction for investigating criminal cases, the home ministry has empowered 10 coastal police stations to register and investigate such cases within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). A notification issued in this regard under the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976, stated that the 10 police stations, located on both east and west coasts, can investigate any offence committed by any person within these economic zones

The 10 police station which have been given these powers are — Navibandar coastal PS (Gujarat), Yellow Gate PS (Maharashtra and Daman and Diu), Harbour coastal security PS (Goa), Mangalore coastal security PS (Karnataka), Fort Kochi coastal PS (Kerala and Lakshadweep), B5 Harbour PS (Tamil Nadu and Puducherry), Gilakaladindi PS in Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Paradeep marine PS (Orissa), Nayachar coastal PS (West Bengal), and Central Crimes Station, Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands). The Indian coastline stretches 7,517-km with 12 major ports and 187 minor or intermediate ports while the territorial waters end at 12 nautical miles.