The mortal remains of an Indian IT professional may have to wait for burial in the US for an indefinite period, as his wife, who can give consent for cremation, is in coma.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj intervened to help the family of Chandan Gavai, who was killed in a road accident at Long Island in New York on July 4, as his family found it difficult to cremate his body due to legal hassles.
Chandan’s wife Manisha, whose consent is required for cremation of the young IT professional in the US, was also injured in the same road accident and slipped into coma. Chandan’s parents, Archana and Kamalnayan Gavai, were also killed in the same accident.
Accident
The accident took place when a pick-up truck driven by a drunk man rammed into the sedan that the young IT professional was driving with his parents, wife and child onboard.
The child, 11-month-old Ibhan, suffered minor injuries. Swaraj intervened after Chandan’s brothers Anand, a Dutch national and a scientist in the Netherlands, and Swapnil, a financial consultant in Mumbai, was quoted as saying that they did not have the wherewithal to bring the mortal remains of their deceased parents and sibling to India, as bringing each body would cost Rs 13 lakh.
They also found it difficult to cremate the deceased in New York as cremation would cost them Rs 4 lakh for each body. The Consulate General of India (CGI) in New York intervened following instruction from the external affairs minister’s office.
The CGI offered to bear the expenses for cremation. But while cremating remains of Kamal Nayan and Archana was not difficult, the local laws proved to be a hurdle to perform the funeral of Chandan according to Hindu traditions.
Published 18 July 2016, 19:02 IST