Body of Hoshiarpur youth lying in Saudi Arabia for three years

SAUDI AUTHORITIES HAVE DEMANDED DNA SAMPLE OF VICTIM'S FAMILY MEMBERS TO ASCERTAIN HIS IDENTITY

HOSHIARPUR: The family of Rakesh Kumar, a 25-year-old youth of Nauneetpur village who got killed in an accident in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in August 2014, is waiting to perform the last rites for three years now.

The Saudi authorities have demanded the DNA sample of victim's family members to ascertain his identity but since his biological parents are no more, the Indian embassy has expressed it’s inability to act in the matter.

The body is supposed to be lying in a mortuary in Riyadh.

Rakesh had gone to Saudi Arabia in February 2014 by paying a sum of ₹ 80,000 to a travel agent and got a driver's job in Riyadh.

On August 21, the vehicle he was driving met with an accident and he was killed.

Dharampal, who had adopted Rakesh on marrying latter's mother, appointed his nephew Avtar Singh, who is also working in Riyadh, as his attorney to co-ordinate with the authorities there and bring back the body.

However, Avtar Singh has failed to do so as the mission in Riyadh could not confirm his identity.

When the family got in touch with the Indian embassy, it demanded DNA sample of any one of them but as Rakesh's biological parents were no more, the same could not be arranged. Since then the family has been knocking at the doors of local politicians for the help but to no avail. “I do not have the resources to meet the higher authorities in Delhi nor do I have enough money to make calls to Indian mission in Saudi Arab,” said Dharampal.

Deceased's cousin Parveen Kumar has appealed to Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, to help in bringing back the body and to investigate the accident circumstances.