India, April 5 -- The Bombay High Court recently dismissed a petition filed by a shipping company challenging the compensation it was asked to pay the daughter of one of its shipmasters who died in 2012 while on earned leave.

Observing that this was a "classic case where every possible obstacle is sought to be created for avoiding payment of the death compensation claim," the court ordered Teekay Shipping (India) Private Limited (TSIPL) to pay $246,780 (approximately Rs.2.28 crore) to the daughter of the late Captain Baldev Singh Dhinsa within eight weeks, as per his employment contract.

In their judgment of March 24, justices S M Modak and Sandeep Marne observed that this was a "tragic case" in which Dhinsa's daughter was awaiting the ...