After numerous false starts and dishonoured promises, the family of the 62-year-old engineer, who died in Saudi Arabia in April, has finally received the deceased’s body
The body of the 62-year-old auto engineer, who died of a cardiac arrest on April 29, finally arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning. The family was waiting for the body to perform the final rituals. The deceased, Rajnikant Dalal, was employed as an auto engineer with a private firm in the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.
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Also read: Family awaits man's body month after he died in Saudi Arabia
The Dalals received Rajnikant’s body on Friday. Pic/Rajesh Gupta
On April 29, the Vikhroli-based family received the shock of their life when Javed, a colleague, informed them that Rajnikant had died due to cardiac arrest. Wife Rekha, daughter Khyati and son Devang had last met Rajnikant in September 2013.
Sordid saga
mid-day had reported on June 6 on the ordeal that the family had to go through for retrieving Rajnikant’s body. Rajnikant’s daughter Khyati (24), who is pursuing her Chartered Accountancy, had told mid-day earlier, “Father used to call us every other day.
The last we spoke to him was on April 26. When he didn’t call us for two days, we were extremely worried.” The family had spent over Rs 10,000 on phone bills to contact the Indian Embassy for getting Rajnikant’s body back to India. After numerous false starts and constant follow-up, Rajnikant’s body finally arrived last morning.
The family later went to the Sahar police station for the paperwork. At 3 pm, the body was brought home and the final rites were conducted. The family is devastated as Rajnikant was the sole breadwinner of the family.
Now Khyati might have to work for a living to support the family, since her brother Devang is still pursuing his studies. “We are broken; we waited for my father’s body to come, and each day was so difficult. However, we are at least satisfied that we could see him for one last time, and performed the final rites.
But this should not happen to anyone else. The whole responsibility of my family is on me. However, I am very afraid how and what will I do now; the problems are not yet over,” shared Khyati.
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