Srinagar, Aug 22 (KNO): The mortal remains of Kashmiri MBBS student, Late Sabha Rasool, who tragically passed away in Iran, are scheduled to arrive in Delhi tonight, officials informed.
The repatriation is being facilitated by an evening flight from Tehran, expected to reach New Delhi late tonight.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that her body will be transported from Delhi to her native Safakadal, Srinagar, by tomorrow morning, where her last rites will be performed according to tradition.
One of the family members told KNO that they had to bear extraordinary expenses to bring her mortal remains home, while they thank the Indian embassy, who helped them alot.
“We had to pay nearly ten times the normal airfare charges just to get her body back. There was no support from the government, and everything—from documentation to transportation—had to be arranged by us,” a family member said.
Another relative said: “Losing our daughter is already unbearable, but having to arrange her return ourselves makes it even harder. We hope the government helps us in this difficult time, as we had to pay a hefty amount to bring back our beloved daughter’s lifeless body.”
Meanwhile, the Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has called for a formal mechanism to assist families of Indians who die abroad.
“Her body is expected to arrive at Delhi Airport late this evening, from where it will be transported to Kashmir by early tomorrow morning. She will reach her native place in Safakadal, Srinagar, where her last rites will be performed as per tradition,” reads a statement by National Convenor Nasir Khuehami.
The Association urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani to ensure ambulance transportation and other necessary facilities are available at Srinagar Airport tomorrow morning, so that her mortal remains can be taken to Safakadal with dignity.
“However, the grieving family has informed us that no support was extended to them by the government in this difficult hour. Already devastated and shattered by the untimely death of their daughter, they were compelled to shoulder every responsibility themselves,” the statement read.
From completing documentation to arranging transportation, the family bore the entire burden, paying nearly ten times the normal airfare charges for the repatriation of her mortal remains. The only assistance came from the Indian Embassy in Iran, which helped with initial formalities. Beyond that, everything had to be arranged by the bereaved family and community members themselves.
Khuehami said it is heartbreaking that a family struggling with the loss of their young daughter had to simultaneously battle financial and logistical hurdles.
“Such moments of grief should be met with compassion and institutional support, not unbearable burdens,” he added.
He further urged the External Affairs Minister to establish a formal mechanism to assist families of Kashmiri students and other Indian nationals who lose their lives abroad, ensuring that no family is left to fend for themselves during such unimaginable tragedies.
“The Association added that when another Kashmiri student, Arsalan Kanjwal from Sopore, passed away in Iran last year, the MEA facilitated his repatriation and bore the entire expenditure. The same approach should have been extended in Sabha’s case, sparing her grieving family from this painful ordeal. We also request the External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, for personal intervention to reimburse the family for the extraordinary costs incurred in repatriating her mortal remains,” the statement read.
“We urge the MEA to institutionalize a dedicated support mechanism under the Ministry to ensure timely financial, logistical, and humanitarian assistance to families of Indian students and citizens who lose their lives abroad. This compassionate intervention will not only bring relief to Sabha’s grieving family but also reaffirm the government’s commitment to standing by its citizens in their most difficult times,” the statement added—(KNO)