"Indian Man Missing From Saudi Arabia Since April 2020 Committed Suicide, Investigation Ongoing"- MEA Informs Delhi HC, Status Report Sought

The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that the man, working in Jeddah on a labour visa who was missing since April 2020, had died after committing suicide and that an investigation is ongoing into the matter by the concerned authority of the Foreign Country.

The development comes in a woman's plea seeking verified information about her husband's whereabouts and repatriation of his body, in case he is dead. 

Justice Rekha Palli, who sought for a status report to be filed within two weeks, was informed by Advocate Bharati Raju appearing for MEA that according to a communication received by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the petitioner's husband was no more and had died by committing suicide. 

Advocate Soumya Dutta appearing for the petitioner apprised the Court that the Centre had not filed any reply in the matter despite claiming that steps are being undertaken by it.

"We are in the process of getting the death certificate which is why it is taking some time for us to file reply. We will need some more time to obtain the certificate," Raju submitted.

"Let a status report be filed within two weeks. List on November 16," the Court said.

The Petitioner's husband went to Jedah, Riyadh on labour visa and went on missing in April, 2020. Later, she found out from his colleagues that her husband is no more. She was assured by the Ministry of External Affairs that the matter is being looked into. However, nothing turned out, she claims.

"Such irresponsible inaction on the part of the Respondent No. 1 has kept the Petitioner in dark for close to a year now. She lives in a remote village 200 Kilometers away from Kolkata and having dependent mother-in-law and two children. She is not being able to get death certificate of her husband too and in absence, is not being able to obtain legal heir certificate or do necessary formalities to access the amounts of her husband in bank accounts and assets to meet livelihood of her and dependents," stated the plea.

The petitioner had therefore prayed for an interim relief, directing the Ministry to file an action taken report before the Court.

She sought disclosure of actual information and status of the her husband and issuance of a death certificate in alternative, in case it is found that her husband is no more. Further, she sought a direction upon the Ministry to shift back the dead body of her husband to India, if available.

Earlier this year, a petition was filed before the High Court alleging that a deceased Indian man, a Hindu by religion, was buried in Saudi Arabia. In the plea seeking directions for exhuming and repatriating his body to India, the Court was informed that geographical coordinates of the man's grave has been located and the Government is constantly coordinating with the Interior Ministry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Case Title: CHANDYARA BIBI SK v. UNION OF INDIA