Coronavirus Lockdown: Condolences pour in for NRI wife stranded in Kerala as her husband dies in Dubai

The death of a 28-year-old NRI from Kerala in Dubai has caused much grief to hundreds not just because he was an active social worker, but had also fought for repatriation flight for stranded NRIs to return in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

Nithin Chandran, a native of Perambra in Kozhikode in north Kerala, received much attention as his wife Athira, who is pregnant, had earlier approached the Supreme Court seeking repatriation flight to return to her native place.

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While Athira could return to Kerala in the first repatriation flight on May 7, Nithin preferred to stay back and was extending support to the COVID-19-affected NRIs. He even met the travel charges of two other financially weak persons as a gratitude for the support his wife received for her fight to return to Kerala.

Nithin was found dead in his flat in Dubai on Monday. He was suffering from heart ailments and hence it was suspected that he suffered cardiac arrest during sleep.

Athira is now in Kerala and is expected to deliver soon. Hence the family is trying to keep her unaware of Nithin's unexpected death for the time being. The couple got married two years back and were settled in UAE. Nithin was working with a construction firm and Athira with a software firm.

Nithin was an active member of Indian Cultural and Arts Society in UAE and was actively involved with blood donation groups. The social media is being flooded with condolence messages over Nithin's death.

Congress MLA Shafi Parambil said in his condolence message that when Nithin's friends asked him if he was not returning to Kerala with Athira, Nithin said that there were hundreds of other needy persons who wanted to return. Nithin always gave preference to the needs of others rather than his, said Shafi.