Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday ordered
the arrest of MV Gati Pride anchored at the Chennai Port, on a
petition filed by the widow of an officer, who alleged that
the owners of the 7000DWT vessel were responsible for the
death of her husband on board the vessel on March 24.
Ordering arrest of the ship owned by Gati Coast-to-Coast, a
company of Gati Limited, Justice KBK Vasuki held that the
petitioner, Bino Wesley, widow of the killed officer T S Frank
Midson and a resident of Pammal near here, had made out a
prima facie case.
She said her husband was appointed Third Officer on the
ship, flying the Panamanian flag, on a monthly salary of Rs
one lakh, under a November 22, 2011 agreement.
Stating that on an earlier occasion on December 19 last,
the ship had been ordered to be arrested for non-payment of
wages to its workforce, the plaintiff said that after the dues
had been settled by the owners, the vessel was ordered to be
released.
The petition claimed that during the period of arrest,
the ship was lying idle, without proper maintenance and was
grossly deficient in equipment, man-power, safety and lighting.
She said that on March 24, her husband had met with an
accident while handling the deck stores and was rushed to a
city hospital where he was declared brought dead.
A post mortem was conducted in the Government General
Hospital.
Holding the ship owners wholly responsible for the death
of her husband due to negligence on their part, Wesley field
the present civil suit demanding a compensation of Rs one
crore from the owners and also sought its arrest.
PTI
