Its been four months now since Mohammed Arifuddin, an Indian expatriate, died in Makkah, where he had come to perform Umrah, but the authorities are yet to release his body for burial, pending completion of legal formalities. Arifuddin, a resident of Karimnagar district in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, was working in Jeddah and was the sole bread-winner for the family. He came to Makkah to perform Umrah on Mar. 21, and was staying in a hotel in Gaza Street. He died in the shower apparently due to a short-circuit in the water heater, police reports said. Arifuddin’s wife, Naseem Sultana, had, in a letter to the Indian Consulate, demanded a probe into her husband’s death in addition to compensation for negligence on the part of the hotel management. Her request was forwarded to the local authorities through diplomatic channels. After waiting two months, she wrote a second letter to the Indian Consulate stating that her husband’s body could be buried and all relevant documents to be handed over to their family friend Mohammed Ayub Khan, who also works in the Kingdom. Based on her letter, the Indian consulate issued a “No Objection Certificate” to receive the body and preparations were made for burial in Makkah, Ayub Khan, who was authorized by the family to handle the case, said. He said the police, however, did not hand over the body in the last minute since they had received Naseem Sultana’s first letter seeking probe and compensation. The family’s woes have been compounded since they have nobody in Makkah who can follow up on the case or expedite the formalities. Stating that the Indian Consulate had done everything possible from their side, Ayub Khan said it was now up to the local authorities to take a decision and hand over the body. Family and friends of Arifuddin are desperately trying to ensure that he at least gets a decent burial during the holy month of Ramadan. According to the Kingdom’s laws, compensation is a subject to Shariah law, which decides whether it was an accident or a case of negligence.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 09:25:54 +0000
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