By Reena Bhardwaj | 6–7 minute
Washington, DC [US], July 26 (ANI): Advocacy groups representing the Indian diaspora are urging the Indian government to streamline procedures after airlines began refusing to transport mortal remains without original passports, leaving grieving families in distress.
In a letter addressed to India’s Home Secretary Govind Mohan, prominent diaspora organisations including TEAM Aid and Jaipur Foot USA highlighted the growing crisis faced by Indian families worldwide when their loved ones die abroad and passports are not readily available.
The situation has escalated following recent fines imposed on Air India by India’s Bureau of Immigration. In response, the airline implemented a strict policy refusing to carry human remains without the deceased’s original passport—even when Indian embassies have issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs). Several other airlines have reportedly followed suit, creating what advocacy leaders describe as a “deeply distressing and devastating situation” for bereaved families.
Prem Bhandari, Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA, and Mohan Nannapaneni, Founder and President of TEAM Aid, jointly authored the letter outlining the humanitarian crisis. TEAM Aid, which has facilitated the repatriation of over 4,000 mortal remains from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to various Indian states, said the issue often arises when individuals die in tragic circumstances such as accidents, suicides, or homicides, leaving passports inaccessible due to police investigations.
In other instances, passports are withheld by immigration authorities in cases involving asylum seekers or visa violations. “In several tragic cases, the deceased individual lived alone, and their passport was inaccessible at the time of death,” the letter notes. Homes are sometimes sealed during investigations, making document retrieval impossible while families wait in agony to bring their loved ones home.
The emotional toll is starkly illustrated in the case of Rahul Patel, whose untimely and unnatural death has left his body stranded in a funeral home for over a week. Despite all documentation being in order, including an NOC from the Indian Consulate, the sole obstacle remains the passport, which is held up with customs in Chicago. “No airline is willing to transport the body due to fear of penalties,” said Bhandari.
“The deceased’s brother, Dilip Patel, calls me daily from Gujarat,” he added. “His family hasn’t slept, desperately waiting to bring Rahul home.”
Indian consulates have attempted to ease the situation by issuing NOCs even when passports are missing. However, when remains arrive in India, airport immigration authorities sometimes detain them for hours due to the lack of an original passport, further delaying an already painful process.
“We used to occasionally ship human remains even without the original passport, relying on the Indian Consulate-issued NOC,” said Nannapaneni. “But due to recent fines imposed on airlines by the Bureau of Immigration, carriers are now refusing transport unless the passport is available. This creates heartbreaking obstacles for grieving families who are unable to fulfill sacred religious rites and provide a dignified final journey.”
Prem Bhandari questioned the rationale behind the penalties, saying, “Indian Consulates, Embassies, and High Commissions issue a No Objection Certificate only after verifying the deceased’s Indian nationality. Penalising airlines in such verified cases is neither understandable nor justified.”
In response, the organisations have formally appealed to the Indian Home Secretary, urging immediate intervention and a long-term resolution. They request a directive instructing airport and immigration officials across India to accept embassy-issued NOCs mentioning passport unavailability as sufficient for releasing remains without further delay.
“We humbly request your intervention to streamline the process,” the letter states. “This issue affects the dignity of the deceased and the sentiments of their families.”
Describing the matter as a “critical humanitarian concern,” the advocacy groups stress the urgent need for government action, especially given the large Indian diaspora in North America.
For families already overwhelmed by loss, these bureaucratic hurdles transform grief into a prolonged nightmare, depriving them of the closure that comes from performing final rites in their homeland. (ANI)
652 words, 3 minutes read time.
About The Author
