Am I Liable for Compensation if a Worker Dies on My Rental Property?

Dear Sirs,

I have a marriage palace where I provide the venue only on a rental basis to customers, and nothing else. Customers are responsible for arranging their own caterers and decorators. If a laborer of a halwai was killed in our palace, and his dependents received 10 lakhs in compensation from the perpetrator, am I liable to pay any compensation under the Employee Compensation Act? The laborer worked for only one day at a rate of 300/- per day.

Thanks and Regards,
Harish Kumar Gupta

Dear Harishkumar,

What you have mentioned about the marriage hall owned by you and its renting out solely to customers is true. You are not liable under the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923 for the alleged murder of the labor employed by the Halwai engaged by the customer who rented the marriage hall from you on the date of the incident.

There is no liability for this death on you if he is not your employee. Do you have records of renting the premises out to someone on the day of the murder? Was it murder or accidental death? Who had hired the worker - you, the caterer, or the halwai?