Updated on Thursday, June 11, 2009, 11:49 IST

Zeenews Bureau

Seoul, June 11: Two Indian sailors who have been detained in South Korea for close to 18 months for an oil spillage that New Delhi says they did not cause have been released by a court here. The duo - Jasprit Chawla and Shyam Chetan - will return to India soon, reports said.

Jaspreet Chawla, captain of a Hong Kong-registered oil tanker the Hebei Spirit, and his Chief Officer Shyam Chetan have not been allowed to leave South Korea since December 7, 2007, when a crane barge rammed into their stationary ship in stormy weather, causing a spillage of 10,000 tonnes of oil on the country's west coast.

Despite repeated protestations by New Delhi and several global shipping and transport bodies, five persons, including the two officers have been incarcerated in South Korea since then.

The two men were cleared of all charges by the first court hearing the case, but were then held guilty by the high court of the country after an appeal by prosecutor.

However, the South Korean Supreme Court overturned the high court ruling this year and set the men free on bail, a ruling that has allowed Chawla's family to join him sporadically.

However, they were kept under house arrest.

Inputs from agencies