New Delhi: The Union government has informed the Delhi High Court that it has prepared guidelines for the repatriation of Indian nationals who have died abroad. The Center said it was considering a petition seeking permission to repatriate a national who had died in the UAE. Justice Sanjeev Sachdev had filed the petition through a video conference. Kamlesh Bhatt of Tehri, Uttarakhand, died of a heart attack on April 17 in Abu Dhabi. The body was sent to India on April 27 by Etihad Air Service. But the airport authorities have not permitted it to be land to India. It was then that his brother Vimalesh Bhatt approached the Delhi High Court.
The demand was for permission to bring the body to India. The Center asked for time to conduct an inquiry through the embassy in Abu Dhabi to ascertain the condition of Kamalesh’s body. In the meantime, the body was brought back to India following intervention from various centers. The High Court allowed the petition to be withdrawn as the petitioner’s demand was met. The body was brought to Uttarakhand with the help of Uttarakhand, central government, and UAE social worker Roshan Rathore. The family had funeral arrangements there. While hearing the complaint, the Center informed the court that it had issued guidance outlining the procedure. The center said that it would no longer be difficult to bring the body in such cases.
