SDPI, ISF help repatriate body of Karnataka man from Saudi after elected reps fail to assist

Jeddah/Kalaburgi, Oct 22: Nearly three weeks after he died of cardiac arrest in Kingdom Saudi Arabia, the body of Shaikapur Gudappa Hanumantaraya, an expatriate worker from Kumbada village of Jevargi Taluk in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka, was repatriated to his hometown, where the aggrieved family members conducted his final rites.

The family members have thanked the local leaders of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and activists of Indian Social Forum (ISF), Jeddah for their selfless efforts in repatriating the body after the elected representatives from Kalaburgi refused to intervene in the case.

Hanumantaraya breathed his last at a private hospital in the Arab kingdom on September 27, 2018. The helpless family members had requested help from district administration, local Member of Parliament, to bring the mortal remains to India for the final rites, but in vain.  

The local leaders of SDPI, who came to know the through the media, met the aggrieved family at their residence and assured them to extend all possible help to bring the mortal remains to the hometown. They then contacted the activists of ISF, Jeddah unit and explained the gravity of the issue.

The Karnataka state unit president of ISF, Jeddah, Mohammed Ali Muloor along with Haris Goodinabali took up the matter with priority and acted on it. They visited hospital to collect information and approached to the company in Jeddah where the deceased had worked and started to process documents for repatriation.

Since there was no relative of the deceased in Jeddah, Kavitha wife of deceased had to issue power of attorney in the name of Mohammed Ali to complete the formalities to dispatch the dead body to India. Completing all formalities, the body of Hanumantaraya was dispatched on October 15 and it reached hometown very next day.

SDPI Kalaburgi district arranged the transportation of dead body from Hyderabad International Airport to Jevargi through the district administration. Local leaders of SDPI were present to receive the body.