Rs 17 Lakh compensation: High Court upholds Single Judge order

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court upheld a Single Judge directive to the Union Government asking it to pay `17 lakh as compensation to the bereaved father of the man who died in an accident in Dubai almost two decades back. The court also dismissed the appeal filed by the Centre in this regard. The Single Judge had directed the Centre and the Consulate General of India to pay the compensation to K O Oommen, the father of late Sunil Oommen.

K O Oommen had filed a petition alleging another person fraudulently took the money. Sunil Oommen was an employee in a private company in Dubai. He met with a motor accident and died. The Preliminary Court of Dubai awarded `17.79 lakh as compensation to his family. “However, the Dubai Court informed the Consulate General the amount was released to one Jaswinder Singh Bangar in 2001 on the basis of a Power of Attorney the latter produced before the Dubai court,” K O Oommen said.

Dismissing the Centre’s appeals, the court said the CBI had registered the FIR in the case and there was a statement Jaswinder fraudulently obtained the money in connivance with some employees of the Office of the Consulate General of India, Dubai.

“Therefore, not only was there negligence on the part of the Centre and others, but the investigating agency also suspected the involvement of the employees of the Consulate General in the fraud. In such a situation, invoking the Public Tort remedy, the learned Single Judge had ordered compensation is paid initially by the Centre and others and recover the same from the culprits,” the court said.