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DEHRADUN / NEW DELHI: A day after immigration officials at Delhi airport returned the body of Kamlesh Bhatt, a 24-year-old man who had died of a heart attack in Abu Dhabi, citing an Interior Ministry order (MHA) prohibiting Upon receiving such a “charge” from outside India, the MHA on Saturday issued an office memo on the matter by its foreigners division (immigration section) saying “… immigration functions regarding upon arrival of dead bodies and remains of Indian citizens / OCI (Foreign Nationals of India) cardholders are subject to strict compliance with the guidelines / instructions issued by various government ministries and departments related to the management of Covid-19 and the filing of any objection / approval / concurrence from the ministries of health and family welfare and external matters in this regard. ”
A detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) for the “importation of human remains of Covid-19 patients / suspects” was also issued for immigration officials.
The central government’s clarification on the matter came even when a petition was filed during the day in the Delhi High Court by Bhatt’s cousin seeking the repatriation of his relative’s mortal remains as soon as possible. The additional attorney general, who represents the government of the Union, affirmed in court that “it was a unique case and the central government was in the process of framing the POE so that in the future there would be no difficulties in similar matters.” The matter has now been listed for hearing on April 27.
Bhatt, who worked at a hotel in Abu Dhabi, had died on March 17. After struggling for several days to have his body repatriated amid the ongoing blockade, his Tehri Garhwal-based family members were eventually helped by Indian-born social activist Roshan Raturi, who arranged to send the body back to India on April 24 after obtaining necessary authorizations.
Bhatt’s cousin Vimlesh Bhatt, who lives in Dehradun, traveled to Delhi on Friday to receive the remains, but was told by immigration authorities that the body had been returned. The family, who had completed all the preparations for cremation, were left hanging.
Rajesh Bhatt, 19, the deceased’s younger brother, told TOI by phone from his village in Tehri Garhwal that his parents are devastated. “My mother has stopped eating. We got all the passes for cremation and now we have been told that the body is not arriving. My brother was the backbone of the family. It’s hard to bear the trauma that although he did so much for all of us, we can’t give him a decent cremation, “he said.
Meanwhile, Raturi told TOI by phone from the UAE that he will try to send the body back to India. “I just hope that the Indian government helps the family who just want to give their son a decent cremation,” he said.
(With contributions from Rohan Dua)
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A detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) for the “importation of human remains of Covid-19 patients / suspects” was also issued for immigration officials.
The central government’s clarification on the matter came even when a petition was filed during the day in the Delhi High Court by Bhatt’s cousin seeking the repatriation of his relative’s mortal remains as soon as possible. The additional attorney general, who represents the government of the Union, affirmed in court that “it was a unique case and the central government was in the process of framing the POE so that in the future there would be no difficulties in similar matters.” The matter has now been listed for hearing on April 27.
Bhatt, who worked at a hotel in Abu Dhabi, had died on March 17. After struggling for several days to have his body repatriated amid the ongoing blockade, his Tehri Garhwal-based family members were eventually helped by Indian-born social activist Roshan Raturi, who arranged to send the body back to India on April 24 after obtaining necessary authorizations.
Bhatt’s cousin Vimlesh Bhatt, who lives in Dehradun, traveled to Delhi on Friday to receive the remains, but was told by immigration authorities that the body had been returned. The family, who had completed all the preparations for cremation, were left hanging.
Rajesh Bhatt, 19, the deceased’s younger brother, told TOI by phone from his village in Tehri Garhwal that his parents are devastated. “My mother has stopped eating. We got all the passes for cremation and now we have been told that the body is not arriving. My brother was the backbone of the family. It’s hard to bear the trauma that although he did so much for all of us, we can’t give him a decent cremation, “he said.
Meanwhile, Raturi told TOI by phone from the UAE that he will try to send the body back to India. “I just hope that the Indian government helps the family who just want to give their son a decent cremation,” he said.
(With contributions from Rohan Dua)
