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