Mortal remains of man who died in Saudi Arabia brought to Tamil Nadu

CUDDALORE: The mortal remains of Mani Karuppaiah of Edachithur, Cuddalore district, who passed away in Saudi Arabia on Nov 20, were airlifted to Tamil Nadu and reached his hometown on Dec 9. Mani, employed in a Saudi marble factory in Riyadh, suffered a severe brain haemorrhage during duty hours in August 2024 and went into a coma. He was initially treated at Shemaishi Hospital in Riyadh and later shifted to Ruwaydah Al-Ardh General Hospital, around 230km from Riyadh, where he remained for more than seven months until his demise, said Riyadh-based pro-bono lawyer and social worker P A Hameed Padubidri. Padubidri coordinated the legal documentation and other processes in liaison with the Indian embassy, having followed Mani’s case since his hospitalisation in August 2024. Following the completion of legal and administrative procedures, the body was flown from King Khalid International Airport on Dec 8 via Sri Lanka on a Colombian Airlines flight and arrived at Trichy International Airport Dec 9. Mani’s nephew, Raja Duraisamy, received the remains, which were then transported by ambulance to Edachithur, where the last rites were performed.

Despite efforts to shift him to India for further treatment in the presence of his relatives, some legal hurdles prevented his medical repatriation. Tamil community members, including Rahim Suraj Riyadh, and the deceased’s colleagues, Kumar Guru and Gughanathan Nagappan, also coordinated and assisted in the process. The family expressed their immense gratitude to Padubidri for his constant support and help throughout his hospitalisation till his demise, as well as to the Tamil community members and the Indian Embassy for their assistance and facilitation. Mani is survived by his mother, K Vennila, wife M Sanjalam, daughters M Priya and M Kaviyarasi, son M Ponnarasan. He had been working in Riyadh for more than ten years.