Migrant worker's body reaches Hyd after 145 days of death

Hyderabad: The mortal remains of a migrant worker, who was working in Saudi Arabia, reached India after 145 days of his death. Sunke Rajaiah, 55, of Kondapur village, Velagatur mandal in Jagtial district, Telangana, died on April 14 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The shipment of the coffin to India was delayed due to suspension of flights during the lockdown. Rajaiah’s relatives have been waiting for almost five months to see the mortal remains of their loved one who died in a distant land, but the coffin of the deceased was finally flown to the Hyderabad airport on September 5 evening.

On June 21, the issue was taken to the notice of the Indian Embassy in Riyadh through the portal MADAD (Consular Services Management System) by MLC T. Jeevan Reddy.

After that, the embassy officials replied to him that the embassy was not aware of the matter even though Sunke Rajaiah had died more than a month ago. They assured that they would register the death immediately and begin the repatriation process.

Sending off the body was further delayed as the sponsor did not issue the exit permit in a timely manner. Badugu Laxman, a Telangana social worker in Saudi, worked with his team to send the body from Saudi to India.

The family members said that the funeral will be held in the village on September 6th. On the initiative of Dharmapuri MLA and minister Koppula Eshwar, the NRI department of Telangana government has provided a free ambulance facility for transporting the coffin from Hyderabad to their native place.

Rajaiah is survived by wife Sankaramma, two daughters a and a son, Tirupati.