Three held for filming Iranian naval vessel at Cochin Port; FIR briefly published online, later withdrawn
The 183 crew members of the IRIS Lavan remain accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi while the vessel remains docked at the berth.
The 183 crew members of the IRIS Lavan remain accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi while the vessel remains docked at the berth.
The 183 crew members of the IRIS Lavan remain accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi while the vessel remains docked at the berth.
Kochi: Three persons, including two journalists and a boat operator, were arrested by the Harbour Police in Kochi for unauthorised entry into a restricted high-security zone to film the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Lavan at Cochin Port.
The arrests followed an incident on Saturday morning, when the individuals allegedly used a rented boat to enter a high-security area of the Cochin Port.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) uploaded by Harbour Police on Pol-App, the group was detained for capturing visuals of the IRIS Lavan, currently docked at the port following a diplomatic arrangement between India and Iran.
The case, registered as FIR No. 0078/2026, the arrested persons were booked under Sections 3(1)(a) and 5, pertaining to spying in prohibited places and the wrongful communication of information of Official Secrets Act, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 329(3) for criminal trespass and Section 3(5) for acts committed with common intention.
The FIR directly describes the incident as a breach of a sensitive security zone "The accused trespassed into the Southern Coal Berth (SCB), a high-security zone of the Cochin Port, and took photos and videos of the Iran-owned ship, which is anchored there as a life-saving measure, in accordance with a diplomatic decision by the Government of India, and attempting to circulate them in a manner that threatens the security of the nation and the state," the FIR said.
However, the police later pulled down the FIR from online platforms. Kochi City DCP Aswathy Jiji stated that the document had been published accidentally and was removed due to the sensitive nature of the case. "The FIR was filed based on the statement from the CISF personnel who detained the trespassers. But it was accidentally published. Later, we decided to pull it down as it is related to a matter of national security," Jiji said.
The 183 crew members of the IRIS Lavan remain accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi while the vessel remains docked at the berth.