MAN DIES IN SAUDI, FAMILY WAITS FOR BODY

Family members of Raju Das, who died in Saudi Arabia on February 20 in suspicious circumstances are waiting for his body and have no clue when their wait will end.

Das, 38, a resident of Kashmir village in Barmer, left for the Middle East more than six months ago in search of a job there. According to his brother, Kumbha Ram, he got a job to graze cattle in Riyadh. On February 20, the family received news of his death from a relative who too works in the country.

Since then they have been seeking help from the district administration and politicians, including Sheo BJP legislator Manvendra Singh, to bring back his body. “From the district administration to local politicians, we have approached everybody and made all possible efforts to bring back Raju’s body but nothing worked in our favour so far,” said Kumbha Ram. “We feel helpless as no one in the family has a passport,” he said.

A month back, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had assured Manvendra Singh that the Centre will expedite the matter. But wait for the family is proving endless as even after 65 days, the deceased body could not be brought back to India.

The Centre is in touch with the government of Saudi Arabia and the body will be brought to India after clearance of “necessary formalities”, said Singh.

Singh claimed that earlier the Riyadh police had considered this case to be a suicide and as the probe was on the body could not brought back to India. Investigation by the Riyadh police has been completed but due to lack of documents Das’s body has not yet been handed over to the Indian authorities there, Singh said, adding that efforts are on to complete the process as soon as possible.