An Australian court has ruled that a former Indian diplomat must pay a substantial amount in compensation to a former domestic helper for alleged unpaid wages and unfair working conditions.
Australian media reports indicate that Seema Shergill, originally from India’s Punjab state, worked at the residence of India’s former envoy in Canberra, Navdeep Suri, for a period of one year. In May 2016, Shergill suddenly left Suri’s residence, leaving her belongings behind.
According to the reports, the federal court found that Shergill had worked seven days a week, laboring for 17.5 hours each day. Her responsibilities included housecleaning, meal preparation, garden upkeep, and she was only allowed to leave the residence to walk Suri’s dog. Initially, she was paid the equivalent of approximately AUD 7.80 per day, but her wage was raised to AUD 9 per day after she lodged a complaint. In total, she received about AUD 3,400 for her 13 months of work.
The court has now ordered Suri to pay Shergill AUD 136,000 (equivalent to Rs 73.6 lakh) in compensation within 60 days, along with interest.
Shergill had previously worked at Suri’s residence in Egypt when he served as India’s ambassador there. In April 2015, she traveled to Australia with the Indian envoy and was issued an official passport. She was instructed to return to India the following year, but she defied this order and fled in 2016. By 2021, she had acquired Australian citizenship. Some sources cited by the Hindustan Times suggest that her motivation for filing the case against the Indian envoy may have been to secure Australian citizenship.
According to these sources, if Shergill had any grievances, she should have returned to India and pursued her case with the appropriate authorities or in the courts.
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