KOCHI: The High Court has sought the view of the Centre on a petition filed by expatriates, who returned to Kerala from the UAE amid the Covid pandemic, seeking a direction to the Indian ambassador in the Gulf country to consider their plea to initiate legal action against a cargo company in Dubai.
The petitioners said they were forced to leave the UAE due to loss of jobs owing to the economic meltdown following the Covid-19 outbreak. They said as Vande Bharat flights and chartered flights had restrictions on the weight of cargo one could carry, their personal belongings were entrusted with Ruby Cargo, a packing and moving firm based in Dubai, to be delivered to their residences in India.
However, they didn’t hear anything about the status of their shipments despite several follow-ups. Later, they came to know that the cargo entrusted with Ruby Cargo was destroyed in a fire which took place at the company warehouse in Umm Ramool, Dubai, on July 6, 2020. They alleged that Ruby Cargo failed to take proper action to return the goods or pay compensation to the petitioners.
The petition was filed by Santhosh Kumar A U of Palakkad and 14 others. They said they have come to know of at least 80 people who have lost their belongings worth over 10 lakh UAE dirhams (nearly `20 crore) in the alleged fire.
They said the situation necessitated the shipping of personal effects and household goods that the petitioners had painstakingly gathered over many years by spending their hard-earned money to India. Most of these items were not only highly expensive but also carried immense sentimental value.Jose Abraham, counsel for the petitioners, submitted that since the petitioners have come back to India, they are unable to take the issue up in the UAE legally. Hence, they sought the help of the Indian Embassy in the UAE, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, NORKA department and Kerala government.
The court will consider the case on March 1.