Former Indian Envoy Ordered to Pay Compensation to Former Domestic Help: Report
A court in Australia has ruled that Navdeep Singh Suri, India’s ex-high commissioner to Canberra, must pay a former domestic employee thousands of dollars in compensation for unfair working conditions, according to Australian media reports.
The case, which took place in New Delhi, was an ex-parte proceeding in the Australian court, suggesting that the filing of the case by the employer was an “after-thought,” according to sources familiar with the matter.
Justice Elizabeth Raper of the federal court ordered Suri to pay Seema Sherghill over $136,000, plus interest, within 60 days, as reported by ABC News.
Sherghill had traveled to Australia in April 2015 and worked for Suri at his Canberra home for approximately a year, the report stated.
Sources familiar with the case mentioned that Sherghill was issued an official passport and was asked to return to India in 2016, but she defied government orders.
In 2021, she acquired Australian citizenship, leading to suspicions that she filed the case with the intention of remaining in the country, they added.
According to these sources, if Sherghill had any grievances, she should have returned to India and sought assistance from competent authorities or filed a lawsuit.
The Federal Court heard that Sherghill worked seven days a week, for 17.5 hours per day, according to media reports.
Initially, Sherghill was paid the equivalent of about $7.80 per day, which was later increased to $9 per day after she complained, the report stated.
(Note: This article has been published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff, except for the headline.)
