Even after 110 days, Russia refuses to hand over Udaipur man’s body to kin
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Kota: 08.11.2021
Russian authorities have refused to hand over the mortal remains of a 46-year-old man from Udaipur to his kin for last rites at his native place 110 days after death. They have also imposed restrictions of cremation as per Hindu rituals and directed his kin to bury him in Russia only.
The deceased, Hitendra Garassia, a resident of Godwa village in Udaipur, had gone to Russia in April through a travel agent for employment.
On September 17, the passport office at Jaipur on the input from the Indian embassy in Russia through the local police station informed Garassia’s family members that he had died in Russia and the Russian police recovered his body on July 17.
Garassia’s family had no clue about the whereabouts of Hitendra’s body in Russia.
However, on learning about the matter through media reports, Bundi-based Congress leader, Charmesh Sharma, who has facilitated safe returns of over 400 Indians stranded in foreign countries and a dead body from Iraq, lodged an online complaint to the President of India, Ramnath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister of external affairs, S Jaishankar in mid-October.
Following repeated reminders and requests by Indian authorities, the ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation on October 28 denied the Indian Embassy access to the body.
The Russian authorities stated, "Once this (investigation) process is over, the body of the deceased can be handed over to the relatives, but they will not be allowed to cremate the body or take the body out of Russia."
They added, "In other words, the family can come to Russia and receive the body, but they will have to conduct burial in Russia only. If they are not ready or able to come and do it, then the Russian government will conduct the burial."
Sharma said, "The Indian ambassador in Russia, DB Venkatesh Verma, on Saturday through email informed me about the response by the Russian government. It has left me stunned and disappointed, how can an individual be deprived of his fundamental right of last rites as per his religion at his native place?"
Garassia The role of the Indian embassy has also been disappointing as it worked like a post office to exchange information between Russian authorities and kin of the deceased when it should have mounted pressure and questioned the denial, he said.
Garassia is survived by his wife and two children.
"The entire family has been in grief and we have been measuring pillar to post for the return of our brother’s body, but the response from the Russian authorities has worsened our condition," said Natwar, Garassia’s brother.
