Within a day of pilgrim’s death, India, Pak work to send body back for funeral

Nagpur: The joy of meeting her brothers after six years was shattered for Jaywanti, a Pakistani citizen, when her husband Sachanand Jaiomal suddenly died at Nagpur on Sunday night. However, prompt cooperation from authorities in India and Pakistan High Commission ensured his mortal remains were sent back to Ghotki town of Sindh in less than 12 hours, as his kin insisted on having the last rites there.
The 58-year-old had come to Nagpur with his family on September 18 as part of a batch of 66 pilgrims to the Udasin Ashram here, a place of religious reverence to members of Sindhi community. The last batch of pilgrims for the Udasin Ashram had come before Covid.
Along with pilgrimage, the trip also usually gives pilgrims an opportunity to meet relatives in India. Sachanand’s brother-in-law had shifted here in 2004. However, the joy of reunion for Jaywanti and her brothers turned sour when Sachanand suddenly fell ill and died at a private hospital after midnight of Sunday.
By evening, his brother-in-law Mukesh Wadhwani and Rajesh Jhambia, the leader of Pakistani immigrants in Nagpur, were busy booking flight tickets and charting out the plan to reach the Wagah border by the earliest. The body is supposed to reach the border by 1.30pm on Tuesday.
As Sachanand’s entire family is in Pakistan, the kin insisted that the body be brought back to the country. This needed a number of formalities, which could be finally completed in less than a day, says Jhambia.
The formalities began with a post mortem. Even if he died during treatment at a hospital, post mortem was needed since he was a foreign citizen. Clearances were also needed from the police here. After that a death certificate was needed from the local authority, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). “NMC top officials were helpful and the certificate was issued on an urgent basis. Former standing committee member Virendra Kukreja also helped get the work done,” said Jhambia.
The Pakistani embassy had insisted on the death certificate. However, as soon as it was sent, the no-objection certificate came from the Pakistani side, clearing the cross over of mortal remains, he said.
“The funeral could have happened even in India but all his relatives are in Pakistan. Moreover, it would not have been easy for all of them to get a visa so soon,” said Wadhwani, the brother-in-law of the deceased.
“We only wanted to see him for one last time, that is the reason we are insisting that the body should be brought down to Pakistan,” said his brother. Sachanand had come to India with his wife, daughter and a nephew.
Jhambia said members of his team like Mukesh Batra, Rajesh Ahuja, Dr Parshotam Batra, Ram Batra, and Bheesham Khetpal helped to get all the work done in time.