Body of Indian who died in Saudi Arabia reaches home after 54 days

The body of a Greater Noida resident, who died of electrocution nearly two months ago in Saudi Arabia, reached home Monday.

Twenty-seven-year-old Irfan Khan had died of electrocution on September 11 while trying to switch on a pump to water plants inside a private complex in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, the youth's family member said.

Khan's body reached Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport after 54 days, they said, adding he brought it to his village Dankaur in Gautam Buddh Nagar's. The body was laid to rest after final rites, he added.

"We could not get the body for 54 days because it took as many days for the government there to complete all the paper works and other formalities," said Nizam Khan, the deceased youth's father.

"Anguished over the delay, at times we thought of going to Saudi Arabia to expedite the matter, but did not have enough money for the purpose," he told PTI.

Irfan, who had gone to the Middle East country in July, is survived by his 25-year-old wife Nargis and six-year-old son Sohail.

Irfan's father said his son had got a two-year work contract in Dammam and had decide to go there to help the family financially.

"He ran a small shop here, which had to be closed down after he left for Saudi Arabia," he said, adding the family will have to reopen it to earn a living for it.

Khan said the family had sought the government 's help for bringing back his son's body but it could not be expedited as the Saudi Arabian authorities told them that the body would be repatriated only after all paper works are completed.

The family, however, thanked local MLA Dhirendra Singh for helping them out by communicating to the government as well as the Saudi embassy for expediting the process.

Singh said he met the family after the body reached their house Monday.

"I have assured the family of my continued support to them in future," Singh said.