M Dhruva & Partners, which spun out of J Sagar Associates earlier this month, has acted on its first independent litigation matter opposite Crawford Bayley, directing the arrest of a ship on behalf of its Hong Kong-based client Star Matrix.

M Dhruva’s founding partner Nishit Dhruva filed the order on 3 February for the arrest of foreign vessel Marwan H.

Crawford Bayley is yet to file the respondent’s affidavit in reply on behalf of the vessel’s owners.

M Dhruva on behalf of its clients alleged that the owners had committed to sell the vessel to its clients, which the Bombay High Court’s admiralty and vice admiralty division agreed with in an ex parte hearing.

The Bombay High Court took the decision on the basis of emails and correspondence between the parties.

The appeal is kept for admission on 22 February.