The Delhi High Court Thursday directed the Ministry of External Affairs to hunt the cooperation of Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi for returning the physique of an Indian citizen — who was buried after his loss of life in January within the Gulf nation regardless of being a Hindu and with out his household’s consent. His spouse has moved the courtroom looking for exhumation and repatriation of the physique.
Listing the case for March 24 for additional monitoring, Justice Prathiba M Singh additionally mentioned {that a} timeline ought to be obtained and communicated to the MEA.
The ministry had earlier instructed the courtroom that they’ve written to the authorities in Saudi Arabia for exhumation of the physique however a timeline can’t be offered as they’re but to get any response.
According to the petition filed by Anju Sharma, spouse of Sanjeev Kumar, who had been working as a truck driver in Saudi Arabia for the previous 23 years and died in January as a result of cardiac arrest, the physique was stored in a hospital in Jizan and he or she was to finish formalities for repatriation. She accomplished the formalities on January 28 however was instructed on February 18 that the physique has been buried as a result of a mistake within the translation of loss of life certificates which recognized his faith as “Muslim”.
However, MEA’s Director of Consular Passport, Visa Division, Vishnu Sharma, on Thursday instructed the courtroom that the interpretation of the loss of life certificates was carried out by Kumar’s employer however it’s inconsequential because the authorities in Saudi Arabia had been aware of his faith since Kumar was not buried in a Muslim cemetery. Sharma additionally mentioned the Indian Consulate is often knowledgeable concerning the loss of life of an Indian citizen and a physique is just not buried except an NOC is issued, however this time there was no such communication maybe as a result of Covid-19 protocol.
The courtroom was additionally instructed that the employer, Salem Abdullah Saad Al-Saqar, has deposited some compensation for the household of the deceased within the Indian Consulate Jeddah’s checking account and the cheque has been couriered to the district collector in Una, Himachal Pradesh, the place Kumar’s household resides. The courtroom within the order additionally directed the officers of Indian Consulate to contact the employer and ensure if any additional funds are as a result of be made.
