Anushka Sharma –
Published On: October 14, 2021 at 13:18 IST
A freight firm has been ordered by the Abu Dhabi Commercial Court to reimburse a customer for damages to his goods that were destroyed in a fire at the company’s warehouse in Dubai in June 2020.
The Court also ordered the firm to pay all Court costs and Attorney fees on behalf of the aggrieved party, Indian ex-pat Thomas Abraham, who works as a pilot for a UAE airline.
Thomas was one of the many Indian ex-pats who had paid the freight company thousands of dirhams to carry their goods back to India. The majority of the disgruntled consumers are from Kerala, in Southern India, who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The tremendous loss was suffered by the moving Indian ex-pats who had lost their lifetime goods in the warehouse fire. It was also alleged that they attempted to seek compensation through a writ case in the Kerala High Court.
The High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by 15 dissatisfied consumers in February 2021, leaving the petitioners free to seek a remedy and pursue their claim for compensation through the proper channels.
Thomas, who had hired the defendant cargo company to transfer his things to India, went to the UAE court through Abdalla Al Naqbi Advocates and Legal Consultants, where he was assisted by Femin Panikkassery, an Indian lawyer.
Thomas stated that he had engaged and paid the defendant cargo company to ship his belongings to Kerala.
He said, “The quote given to me by the cargo company was for Dh13,000. This included transport of some goods to India and storage/relocation of the remaining goods in the UAE for a period ending February 2020. Beyond this, I would have to pay them a monthly rate based on how long the goods would be kept in storage. Based on this, I had paid them an amount of Dh6,000 with the balance to be paid upon my return to the UAE and once I had set up house in Abu Dhabi.”
The process is on for the execution of the Court order which has directed that the company pay Thomas a sum of Dh40,000.
The process is on for the execution of the Court order which has directed that the company pay Thomas a sum of Dh40,000.