153. Dealing with and account of property of seamen who die during voyage.- (1) If any seaman or apprentice engaged on any ship, the voyage of which is to terminate in India, dies during that voyage and the ship before coming to a port in India touches and remains for forty-eight hours at some port elsewhere, the master shall report the case to the Indian consular officer at such port and shall give to the officer any information he requires as to the destination of the ship and probable length of the voyage. (2) The Indian consular officer may, if he thinks it expedient, esquire the property of the seaman or apprentice to be delivered and paid to him and shall thereupon give to the master a receipt there for and endorse under his hand upon the agreement with the crew such particulars with respect thereto as the Central Government may require. (3) The receipt shall be produced by the master to the shipping master within forty-eight hours after his arrival at his port of destination in India. (4) Where a seaman or apprentice dies as aforesaid and the ship proceeds at once to a port in India without touching and remaining as aforesaid at a port elsewhere or the Indian consular officer does not require the delivery and payment of the property as aforesaid, the master shall, within forty-eight hours after his arrival at his port of destination in India, pay and deliver and property to the shipping master at that port. (5) A deduction claimed by the master in such account shall not be allowed unless verified by an entry in the official log book, and also by such other vouchers, if any, as may be reasonably required by the shipping master. (6) A shipping master in India shall grant to a master upon due compliance with such provisions of this section as relate to acts to be done at the part of destination a certificate to that effect. | 
