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NEW DELHI: After an Australian court ordered former Indian high commissioner to Australia Navdeep Suri to pay a former domestic employee thousands of dollars in compensation, India on Thursday rejected any locus standi of Australian authorities to adjudicate on matters concerning “such India-based service staff” of the Indian high commission and said it had taken up the matter with Australian authorities.
The government also urged Australia to uphold its obligations under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, particularly in relation to diplomatic immunities and privileges. The court had asked Suri to pay the employee $1,36,000 plus interest, within 60 days, for unpaid wages and unfair working conditions.
The judge had said that the employment conditions of the Indian woman who worked in the envoy’s home bore no resemblance to what one would expect under Australian law. Indian officials said that Indian laws applied in her case and that she had wilfully deserted her post in May 2016, a day before her scheduled return to India.
“Any grievance that she may have has to be suitably redressed only in India. Her conduct and false representations give rise to suspicions that all this has been motivated by her desire to permanently stay in Australia, and in which she seems to have succeeded. We are also concerned by the ex-parte court judgement,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
The woman was holding an official passport and an Australian diplomatic visa.
“We have repeatedly requested Australian authorities to locate and repatriate her to India. We have learnt that she has made allegations against the then high commissioner, and an ex-parte judgement has now been issued by an Australian court,” said the official.
The government also urged Australia to uphold its obligations under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, particularly in relation to diplomatic immunities and privileges. The court had asked Suri to pay the employee $1,36,000 plus interest, within 60 days, for unpaid wages and unfair working conditions.
The judge had said that the employment conditions of the Indian woman who worked in the envoy’s home bore no resemblance to what one would expect under Australian law. Indian officials said that Indian laws applied in her case and that she had wilfully deserted her post in May 2016, a day before her scheduled return to India.
“Any grievance that she may have has to be suitably redressed only in India. Her conduct and false representations give rise to suspicions that all this has been motivated by her desire to permanently stay in Australia, and in which she seems to have succeeded. We are also concerned by the ex-parte court judgement,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
The woman was holding an official passport and an Australian diplomatic visa.
“We have repeatedly requested Australian authorities to locate and repatriate her to India. We have learnt that she has made allegations against the then high commissioner, and an ex-parte judgement has now been issued by an Australian court,” said the official.
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