India has raised with Venezuelan authorities the case of an Indian seafarer whose body was repatriated with several internal organs missing after he died under unexplained circumstances, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
Rakesh Chauhan, a 33-year-old seafarer, died in Venezuela’s Falcón state on May 7. According to the death certificate issued by a local medical facility, the cause of death was a heart attack. However, an autopsy conducted in Uttar Pradesh after his body was brought back to India last month found that his brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach and intestines were missing.
India takes up matter with Venezuela
Chauhan’s family has alleged that he was murdered, and the case has since drawn attention from the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) as well as several Members of Parliament.
Responding to questions during the Ministry of External Affairs’ weekly media briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has formally taken up the issue with Venezuelan authorities.
“We have taken up the matter with Venezuelan authorities with a request to urgently investigate the matter. We’ll keep you updated in that regard,” Jaiswal said.
Earlier, the Indian Embassy in Caracas said in a statement posted on social media that it had sought a “thorough investigation” into the alleged desecration of Chauhan’s body and the removal of his organs. The embassy added that it has been continuously pursuing the matter with the relevant Venezuelan authorities since the incident came to light.
Family and seafarers’ union sought probe
The case first came into the spotlight late last month after the Forward Seamen’s Union of India raised concerns over Chauhan’s death and the condition of his body, which was repatriated nearly two months after he died.
Doctors who conducted the postmortem examination in Uttar Pradesh reportedly concluded that the exact cause of death could not be established because several vital organs were missing, making it impossible to determine whether Chauhan had suffered injuries before his death.
According to his family, Chauhan last spoke to them on the morning of May 7 while aboard his vessel. Shortly afterwards, they were informed that he had collapsed, lost consciousness and was in critical condition. They were later notified of his death.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has also written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging the government to seek a detailed explanation from Venezuelan authorities in light of what he described as the “extraordinary” circumstances surrounding Chauhan’s death.
