HC directs ministry to expedite process to get body from Dubai

An impoverished family trying to get back the body of their relative, a male sailor from Dubai where he had died on October 6 got relief with Madras High Court today directing Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry to expedite the process to send the body back to Tamil Nadu.
Justice K K Sasidharan gave the direction after perusing the status report filed by the ministry in this regard, as directed by the court on October 24.
The judge had on October 24 issued notice to Union government on a petition seeking a probe into the mysterious death of Anbarasu belonging to Salem in Tamil Nadu and praying for a direction to authorities to bring back his body from Dubai.

The judge had ordered issue of notice to K Gunasekharan, Senior Counsel for Central Government to get instructions from the government before Tuesday.
The status report said the Ministry had informed Centre's counsel on October 29 that a detailed report was sent to External Affairs Ministry from Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi on October 25. It said the remains would be dispatched to India with an escort within a couple of days.
After perusal, the judge said the family had consented for sending the body back. He noted the Ministry's assurance and directed them to expedite the process of despatch.

The court said that since Anbarasu's brother wanted a Post Mortem to be done before the family received the body, it should be done and video-graphed.

Anbarasu had joined a Tanzanian flagged ship M.V.ALMAZED H as crew on May 2013. He was recruited by a Mumbai travel agent on a one-year contract and sent through another Mumbai based firm. He used to contact his family once a fortnight.
On October 2 his parents received a call from the firm saying that he had been sent back but no proper reasons were given. His brother R Raviselvan waited for him at Chennai Airport to receive him but did not find him in the scheduled flight.

The next day, his parents received a phone call from Sharjah Airport stating that their son was hospitalised.
An Indian national working in a hospital where Anbarasu was admitted informed them that their son died in a Kuwait Hospital on October 6 and his body was lying in the mortuary.
The family did not get any response when they contacted the agents and shipping company, it was alleged.
Despite representations, authorities failed to discharge their duties to probe the matter and bring the body to India, the petitioner had submitted.
A representation was sent to the Shipping Ministry, which on October 15 sought the help of Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to bring the body.

However, there was no response even after that following which a petition was filed.