Court Asks Centre To Repatriate Body Of Indian Wrongly Buried In Saudi Arabia

The body of the Hindu man were wrongly buried in Saudi Arabia as per Muslim rites due to incorrect translation of his religion on death certificate purportedly by Indian Consulate officials in Jeddah.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials to coordinate with the Deputy Chief of Missions of Saudi Embassy in New Delhi to facilitate the exhumation and repatriation of the remains of a Hindu man, an Indian citizen, who was wrongly buried in Saudi Arabia as per Muslim rites. The high court also requested the Deputy Chief of Mission to obtain some timeline within which the process of exhumation and repatriation of the body would be completed. Justice Prathiba M Singh said, "You can say it is a request from the court. Considering the sensitivity... you can put it to them." "In view of the fact that the timelines are not able to be given by MEA official appearing today, in order to emphasis on the sensitivity of the issue, the MEA official shall also coordinate/communicate with Deputy Chief of Missions, Saudi Arabia located in New Delhi and inform the fact that this court also seeks the same," the judge said and listed the matter for further hearing on March 24.