Navi Mumbai family unable to process sudden death of their 28-year-old son in UAE, while authorities yet to hand over body or death certificate
Jitendra's parents, Lilavati and Kisan Patil, have asked his employer to arrange for their travel to the UAE to pick up the body. Pics/Sameer Markande
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Jitendra Patil's parents were planning his wedding in Diwali, and they were going to find him a bride when he would finally visit them after nearly two years of working in UAE. Then, on May 16, they received the news of his death. They are struggling to figure how they will plan his last rites given that they are yet to receive the body, death certificate and post-mortem report.
The family is unable to deal with the sudden loss of their son, especially because of the circumstances surrounding his death. After nearly two years of being apart from them, Jitendra, 28, was desperate to be with his family again. But after his attempts to return home failed, the youth had given them a chilling warning: "If you don't hear from me in two days, contact my employer."
Jitendra Patil
The next day, the family was informed that Jitendra had jumped to his death. His father, Kisan Patil, told mid-day, "We were planning his wedding in Diwali. Jitendra was a sane boy, he would not have taken such an extreme step. We have not received a death certificate either. We suspect somebody murdered him. The UAE government should investigate this."
It was his dream of giving his family a better life that took the 28-year-old to UAE. Before that, he lived in a humble 8x8 room in Airoli with his parents and elder brother.
Jitendra wanted to earn more, build a good house and raise his family's financial status. He eventually found a data entry job with Al- Salem Trading Enterprises in Ajman, UAE, and signed a contract for two years with no vacation time and 1,700 Dirham per month (approximately R31,400). On October 16, 2016, he bid adieu to his family and flew to UAE.
Jitendra's family is unable to grieve properly or hold his last rites without his body.
Homesick and helpless
At first, he was happy with the job. But over time, he got homesick. On May 11, he called his brother-in-law Parag Patil and told him that he would return soon. He told Parag that he wanted to surprise the rest of the family. But on May 14, he said would not be able to come due to issues with visa cancellation. On May 15, he called again and said that he had lashed out his employer. He said he was disturbed by the situation, and if the family did not hear from him in two days, they should call the company.
A day after this ominous call, around 5 pm, the company's HR officer, Sreevisakh P, called the family and informed them that Jitendra had jumped from his building around 9 am (IST). In an email, the company assured Parag: "As regards to your request to facilitate travel for you and your wife, we are more than willing to do so on humanitarian consideration."
Later, though, the company claimed that the paperwork was delayed due to Ramzan. The family was also informed that the post-mortem had yet be performed. "It has been five days since my brother passed away. We desperately want to bring my brother's body back. People around us keep asking us about the body's arrival and funeral, but we don't have any answer," said Swapna, Jitendra's sister.
Jitendra Patil
Sushma Swaraj to help
A family friend has now reached out to Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Twitter, who assured them of assistance. On May 18, the family received a call from the Indian Embassy, asking for the company's details.
"We want our son's body, so that we can complete the final rites. The last rites should not be delayed too long, as his soul will not get mukti. Please help me get my son back," said Jitendra's grieving parents, Kisan and Lilavati.
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